Flared Breeches for Men

Horse Country had a couple of canary Tally Ho’s left.

They have another brand too… can’t remember the brand. But they do have some.

Guilherme - I had seen the britches on What Price Glory but had been afraid to buy something sight unseen.

I was talking with a friend and said I liked her britches - they looked awfully comfortable and well made. You guessed it - she got them from What Price Glory.

I’ll have to check out that jod site too. Those look comfy.

I think I’ll order some!

Oh my. Men in uniform. Is it hot in here or is it me?

(JSwan fans herself):cool:

TS had/has some for men that are cotton and roomy and handsome. I got some for Mr. X and they do not cling at all, just have a drape but not a severe flare. I recommend those. Mr. X also has inherited a pair of my father’s old britches that are flared and he looks great in those, too, but of course being an extream hunk doesn’t hurt.

I don’t care how current and fashionable the skin-tight breeches are, unless you’re slim they are unflattering. And if you’re not fit, your dimples show through. And those panty lines that people get so bothered about.

I am not slim. Not even close. I’m also reaching that glorious Red Hat stage–I’m a pink hat now–and feel no compunction to follow fashion at the expense of comfort. So, [sarahpalin]gosh-darn-it, to heck with [/sarahpalin] with those sausage-casings!

I have a home sewing pattern for puffy pants, and when I’m in a position where I have to wear breeches, I’ll be wearing these. And showing in them, too. I’ll make them in a nice cotton twill, with no polyester, so I’ll be cool (obviously, “cool” as in temperature).

The folks who will laugh or scoff or sneer at me for being not au courant are the same ones who would laugh at me if I were walking around in the skin-tights, so really, :: shrugs :: six of one, half dozen of the other.

wanabe: our cycle-cops–all men at this time–wear these flared breeches with tall boots and they look fine. Of course, they’re in navy and not beige, and the dark color gives them a rascally look. Speaking of rascals, Errol Flynn rocked in puffy pants–I have pictures! (okay, I remember a picture I’ve seen of him in puffies, but still…)

J Swan, the WGP and WWII Impressions offerings are good value. My oldest khaki pairs are now going on four years and are still worn regularly and frequently as schooling breeches. They are stained and getting thin but still useful. And they were $70/pair. :wink:

I got two new pair to take with me to this year’s National Cavalry Compeition. The owner was there hawking his merchandise. He carries good stuff as a rule. The breeches, either khaki, “pink,” or green (the former in cotton, the latter two in wool) remain excellent values.

I tried to get a pair from WWII Impressions but they were out of my size. I can’t comment on their current quality. In the past it has been excellent.

WPG is also selling a new line of M1941 boots. They are of MUCH better quality than Gerry’s first try four years ago (they were pretty bad; even he admits it :wink: ). The sample he had of his current offering looked pretty good. I don’t know of anyone who has them so I can’t comment on durability. But they are about $425 as opposed to $950 for Dehners or $1300 for DerDau. Those latter products are of superlative quality (my Dehners get worn several times per week and still look good after three years) but the price is an entry barrier for many. It certainly has prevented me from ordering a second pair. :lol:

A really cool boot I found was the Rhode Island Trooper Boot. It’s an Army stye from about WWI or just after. Dehner makes them (again, not cheap) but I’m looking at them to begin a historical impression from the 1920s. Have to check my bank account before I go any farther. :wink:

Some repro clothing, particularly from “costumers,” is of pretty low quality. Folks who sell to historical re-enactors generally make better stuff.

G.

[QUOTE=Wellspotted;3558363]
I couldn’t get your link to work, Wanabe.

I did go to the catalog, and found these:

http://horsecountrylife.com/catalog/4/cover4.html

The few men I know around here who ride English wear breeches more like the ones on the left (with the black boots) than the ones on the right (with the brown boots).

Didn’t WWI “flying aces” wear cavalry breeches and boots (just took off the spurs so as not to poke holes in their “aeroplanes’” fabric fuselages or to not get the spurs caught in the control wires or something)?[/QUOTE]

First, very poor design for a website.
Second. $369 for breeches? Wow.

That’s good to know. For the wool ones - are they itchy scratchy wool or blended? I don’t care to wear long johns or Underarmour - but nice wool britches might work nicely.

I’d love to see pictures of the competition - please post them!

I’ve not seen a female in the 3buckle boots - but geez - those seem much more practical than regular boots. (I loathe zippers for some reason) I’ve not seen the new ones you refer too - Jeff was here in April or May and I don’t recall him showing them to me… but I could have forgotten. I’ll have to check out the website.

Sorry to derail but I think you’ll appreciate this story. Some friends of mine once hunted with Ft. Leavenworth Hunt - as you know it’s the only military hunt still in existence and some members hunt in their service uniform. One long time member had been in the cavalry, and hunted in his cavalry uniform. I heard that story and thought I’d have loved to just sit and listen to that man tell me stories. Must have been an interesting man.

CarrieK - are you referring to Patrol Breeches/Britches? I saw them on-line somewhere.

Men in uniform. Eye candy! :winkgrin: (JSwan fans herself some more)

I think the horsecountrylife website is light years ahead of WWII Impressions and What Price Glory. Am I wrong or are the two latter selling items only when available. If they don’t have any in stock, then they’re not shown on their sites.

Yeah, horsecountrylife products are top quality and top price.

Since dispatchers are no longer in Class A’s, we have a different supplier than the troopers, so I don’t know the specific manufacturer/supplier but, yeah, it’s their on-duty puff–erm, uniform.

There are at least a couple of makers of custom breeches for police officers. They will make a mounted pattern, a cyclist pattern, or a ground pattern.

A friend of mine who is Army National Guard and rides at the NCC every year had a pair made to match his green Class A uniform. The color and fabric was almost identical (only bright sunlight could you see any dfference in shade and only up close could you see a difference in fabric). Next year he will retire his greens and wear the new Army dress blue uniform (very similar to what you see in old time cavalry movies). The Army does have a mounted uniform. The blouse is not an issue; I’m not sure what he’ll do regarding boots and trousers.

His father, a Public Health Service physician, is going to have a pair made to match his Service Dress Blue uniform. The cost is about equal to a pair of middle class English men’s breeches from a quality maker.

Both also wear BDUs (battle dress utility) uniforms for the more athletic events (jumping, pistol, and saber). Presently they “blouse” the trousers into M1941 boots. They are thinking of having some breeches made of the current camo cloth. For our Guardsman this is not an issue. But right now the PHS follows Navy uniform regs. The Navy has introduced it’s own BDU camo pattern (as has the Air Force; a controversial subject, by the way :wink: ). They will not be widely available until the spring of next year.

I’ll try and get some photos of the NCCs we’ve attended up in the next few days.

G.

Guilherme, you seem to be really on top of this. I want flared breetches but don’t want to pay $300 for a pair. Can you provide a link – not just to a site – but to an actual ad for some? I’ve googled and googled and can’t come up with anything.

Ask…and you shall receive! :lol:

Go to http://www.whatpriceglory.com/ Click on “American Militaria.” Scroll down sligtlty and click on “Mounted Items” from the list on the left. Scroll down and you’ll see the offerings.

Or go here http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/ Click on “Army Dress Uniforms” from the list at the top. Scroll about half way down the page and you’ll find the cotton khaki and wool OD breeches.

Or go to http://www.greatwar.com/Scripts/default.asp Select USA from the “Category” list on the left. Then select “Uniforms” under the “Reproduction” category. The breeches are toward the top of the list.

Note that GWM also has reproduction German and French breeches. My computer would not show images this today. I don’t know if this is my problem or theirs.

I don’t own any GWM items. I have seen a few and they appear to be of excellent quality.

There are other vendors out there but these seem to be the Big Three. I also found an Indian organization called “Replicators, Inc.” who will make anything you want made as long as you can provide photos of the item. I have no idea what the quality might be.

I only have one URL for mounted police equipment, http://www.mountedpoliceworldwide.com/ I’ve never seen any of his equipment so I have no information on quality.

I thought I had another URL for custom police breeches but can’t find it. I’m sure you can find one or more vendors by using Google or, if that fails, calling up a mounted unit (like the one in NYC) and asking them for contact information.

I hope this will get you on the trail of some stuff that will be right for you. :slight_smile:

G.

Yes, thank you for putting all that work into that. :cool:

I got my 1930s U.S. cavalry summer cottons in today and wore them to my lesson and I really, really, really, like them. No spandex anywhere, and not needed. Very authentic, buttons instead of a zipper and lace up at the ankle instead of velcro. The material is a very heavy, sturdy cotton. I think they look terrific and everybody else liked them, too. As for size, they’re a little thicker than my regular breeches, and so my boots were a little tough to get on – because they fit me tightly. They’re a little generous in the waist, but since they’re cotton, I am expecting them to shrink a little. Did I mention I like them. :slight_smile:

What Price Glory asks for your height when you order and protected me from myself. I ordered the long, and received a regular size with a handwritten note in the box stating that long were for people 6’3" and over.

The light brown with a slight green tint doesn’t look that good with my black boots. Next, I’ve got to get some of those brown “3 buckle” boots.

Fashion show! Fashion show!

Breeches

[QUOTE=LexInVA;3553700]
I think you’d be laughed at if you wore those around here. Especially in Middleburg. I’ve certainly never seen anyone wearing anything like those in the fox hunting photo spreads. Those flares look like they would function as parasails if you ever got up to a decent speed.[/QUOTE]

Thirty years ago, I had several pairs of traditional flare breeches made for me by who was likely one of the last equestrian tailors who knew how to make them (he was in his 70’s, and still hand sewed much of them).

He also told me things about how they are designed and how they should be worn (do you know the seam on the leg should never cross your kneecap for safety reasons? Applies to any kind of riding breeches).

He mad me one pair with the flap instead of fly.

And I know they look terrific. Very comfortable, too.

But then you have to have the right physique for them (I’m 6’'1" tall and 165lbs). I think people who don’t like them usually don’t have the body for them or are too insecure to do things they believe in.

I still have them and because that tailor no longer lives, I don’t wear them every day because making them properly may be a lost art.