Vintage Shorts

[Wolfmanjack]

...and a tradition on the island of Bermuda since the '40s.

 

[_Nightwing]

Came up short

Great thread. I wanted exactly the same thing about a month ago, and went into every department store, outlet mall and shopping mall I knew of, probably about thirty stores, before I found anything even close to what I wanted. I thought it was pretty simple - a pair of short, white shorts without a hideous logo on them, in a decent fabric like cotton or flannel that I can use for light work outs this summer. Nooooooooo, not in the 21st century. It would have been easier to have found a discounted cure for cancer with a free lunch box and a picture of Humphrey Bogart from The Big Sleep smiling on the lunchbox than to have found even three pairs of shorts than stopped above the knee.

I finally had some luck in the Adidas store clearance section, of all places - I thought that sports stores would have nothing, athough I checked about ten anyway. White in color, check; short, half-check; nice material, no check (pooy-ester); no hideous logo, you know I can't check that one. I bought them of course, knowing that I wouldn't do any better. However, that's before I discovered this forum and now this thread.

The upside was that they were originally $20 but reduced to $15, then $10, and they rang up for $7 plus tax, so I didn't feel entirely robbed. The major downsides are that the polyester is horrible to sweat in, or , y'know, be in, at all, and it's really thin and drapes over your body in a way that frankly shows your junk too much. Why does anyone want this crap? For modern shorts though they're pretty nice and at least they're a long way off from those awful ankle-length burgundy mesh basketball "shorts" that I see everyone wearing. I'll post pics of my find if anyone's interested. I'm interested to see if anyone has any better success, and I will check out those UDT shorts but a quick image search leaves me thinking they'll tend towards khaki and olive colors, because of the military application. I badly want those shorts Connery has, at least to see if I can pull them off.

 

[JimWagner]

To the OP, Land's End carries mid thigh shorts.

 

[Twill]

I love shorts, and I can't imagine living in my South Louisiana summers without them. It's been triple digit temperatures lately, and, of course, so ridiculously humid you need gills.

try:
Lands End
Gap



More ammunition for shorts:

Vintage:

Modern:

Modern does Vintage:

 

[Baron Kurtz]

is it khaki shorts in particular you're looking for, Trenchguy? I prefer the longer look of the WWII patterns buuuuut:

You might want to try to find some 1950/52 pattern British Army KD shorts (the search shouldn't be too difficult, the damn things are eveywhere). The cut is similar to the WWII versions, but the leg is shorter.

Depending on your waist size (i.e. if it's "tiny") I may be able to source you a pair. I several pairs in waist sizes ranging from 29 to about 31, I thin, but I'd have to check.

 

[Rayson]

American Apparel postal shorts aren't hugely expensive:

http://store.americanapparel.co.uk/rsact401.html?cid=175

 

[Gijoe]

The Best looking alternative are the UDT Shorts ( Navy Seals Shorts) some selleres on the Bay ships overseas !!! From time to time you find on the Bay NOS Vintage Sport Shorts. But as Men, i never would wear this shorts today in the City . I wear them in Summer for Living History under the GI Uniform and Fun Pics.

 

[TrenchGuy]

I don't understand the "men shouldn't wear short shorts" -thing. If a guy has nice, a little more than average muscular legs, why couldn't he wear them? You know, women always complain that men wear too much covering clothing...

Do the UDT shorts have a stretchy waistband, by the way?

 

[Chrome]

Hey!

Have you checked your local military shop.
http://www.varusteleka.fi/group/vaatteet/housut/shortsit/127

I have WW2 style shorts made from white german panzer pants. Love them

 

[TrenchGuy]

Yes, I have. But I'm not really looking for actual sport shorts and I can't find my size in those Nutria shorts.

I think it's the best if I order the poplin shorts from American Apparel or those UDT shorts from eBay.

 

[Gijoe]

I don't understand the "men shouldn't wear short shorts" -thing. If a guy has nice, a little more than average muscular legs, why couldn't he wear them? You know, women always complain that men wear too much covering clothing...

Do the UDT shorts have a stretchy waistband, by the way?

UDT Shorts have no stretchy Waistband, it have a small strap to fiting

 

[Maguire]

I don't understand the "men shouldn't wear short shorts" -thing. If a guy has nice, a little more than average muscular legs, why couldn't he wear them? You know, women always complain that men wear too much covering clothing...

Thats all well and good but most of the folks i see wearing shorts .. don't have muscular anything AT ALL , they are pasty white potbellies who are just dishevelled. Granted, if you've got a muscular physique i can understand that a little differently. Arnold actually turned all his pants into shorts at one point in his career because he felt he wasn't working his legs enough, and felt it would force him to start.

 

[Tomasso]

When appropriate, sure. Panama hat, linen shirt, linen shorts (to the knee) and espadrilles is one of my favorite looks for daytime in warmer climes. And, I believe it's Golden Era approved.

 

[Widebrim]

And, I believe it's Golden Era approved.

True, although the photograph posted does have an aquatic locale.

 

[Flipped Lid]

At age fifty-six I still wear them occasionally to run to the store and on selected other occasions. I have short, dumpy legs so I've never looked good in them. I'm not a sun worshipper and no longer have a yard to attend to so I don't get outside as much as I used to, which leaves my legs glaring white most of the time. I find my self opting for khakis and chinos on occasions when I probably would have opted to wear shorts in the past. I wore shorts to a family reunion a couple of weeks ago and to a picnic held by a fraternal organization earlier this summer, but I'm exercising a lot of discretion these days.

I also find myself wearing jeans less and less often. I don't find them as comfortable as I used to and they are really hot in the summer. I'm going to buy a few pairs of corduroys and a couple pairs of casual wool slacks to wear this winter. They are dressier and warm in the winter. I'm trying to raise the bar a little although I don't expect to give up jeans altogether.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I have a few pair of pleated front dress shorts that I will wear with boat/deck shoes and a nice Tommy Bahama shirt, and of course a white straw Fedora. When it is over 80 degree temp outside, shorts rule!

 

[Chasseur]

I have to say yes, but mostly that is a function of where I live (Hawaii). On weekends arround the house, casual shopping, etc. But not work, or in town really...

 

[PADDY]

Yes. I'll be up the mountains with my 40's tent and sporting shorts.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Yes. Usually 1950 pattern British KD military shorts made before 1965 (the inseams got a bit shorter on ones made after that; before '65 they come to knee-level on me), with an untucked casual shirt, straw hat, and sandals or espadrilles. This is almost a uniform for academics in summer, I believe. I think Edward's head just exploded with the horror and impropriety of the vision.

Why? Because they're comfortable.

bk

 

[Edward]

Yes. Usually 1950 pattern British KD military shorts made before 1965 (the inseams got a bit shorter on ones made after that; before '65 they come to knee-level on me), with an untucked casual shirt, straw hat, and sandals or espadrilles. This is almost a uniform for academics in summer, I believe. I think Edward's head just exploded with the horror and impropriety of the vision.

Why? Because they're comfortable.

bk

lol

You're not wrong there. Each to his own, but there's little I despise more than short trousers - in fact, I'd willingly don flared polyester slacks ahead of shorts. I wore short trousers on a grand total of seven days between the ages of sixteen and twenty one, and I bitterly, bitterly regret every single one of them. If memory serves, I owned two pairs after the age of sixteen, both military surplus (one tropical pattern, the other of the cargo-pocket variety). Aside from aesthetic preference, I simply have no use for short trousers. I've been in extreme heat in a number of places across the world, most pronouncedly in Bangalore in May 2010 when it reached 38 celcius most days, and I simply never felt any need for short trousers to reduce the heat. (In any case, they would probably have been a bad idea as it simply isn't healthy to expose more of the skin than is strictly necessary to the sun). I'm certainly not remotely embarrassed by my own legs - far from it; I simply have no use for short trousers. The day they cut me off at the knees and I stump around on what's left and need especially short trousers to manage, then you'll see me in shorts. Until then, forget it.

FWIW, here's Fred Perry winning Wimbledon in sensible trousers:

Our Transatlantic cousins might alternatively appreciate his contemporary, American Sidney Wood, also a high flyer of that sporting world, also in sensible trousers:

By all means wear such garments as short trousers if you insist, but don't ever tell me they are necessary for any purpose.