Camp Shorts: Country Trends


Figure 1.--This French girl in her school uniform was photographed with a neighbor boy wearing khaki camp shorts during 1965. We have not noted many French boys wearing camp shorts.

Camp shorts appear to have been primarily an American style. They were very popular among American boys during the 1960s and 70s. They were an important feature in American catalogs such as Sears and Wards. The Sears camp shorts were made in the United States. HBC has not noted them being worn extensively in other countries to any great extent. Available information from other countries suggest that camp shorts were of minor importance in other countries with the possible exception of Canada. Although we have noted them advertised by the British retailer Colts. They do not appear, however, to have been widely worn in England. One reader notes that camp shorts were sometimes worn in other countries. He mentions Japan and China, but HBC can not confirm this at this time. We do note occassioinal images of boys from various countries wearing them. Our information is still quite limited. Hopefully reraders from other countries will provide some information.

America

Camp shorts appear to have been primarily an American style. Tey were almost certainly developedin America, but I am not sure who introduced them. I can recall first seeing them in the 1950s, but am unsure precisely when they first appeared. Camp shorts were very popular among American boys during the 1960s and 70s and even into the 1980s. They were an important feature in American catalogs such as Sears and Wards. The Sears camp shorts were made in the United States. HBC has not noted them being worn extensively in other countries to any great extent. Camp shorts were a type of casual short pants. American boys did wear them to camp, but they were alo commonly worn for play and other casual wear at hime. Rimary-age boys commonly wore them to school in the 1970s anbd 80s.

Canada

Available information from other countries suggest that camp shorts were of minor importance in other countries with the possible exception of Canada.

England

We have noted them advertised by the British retailer Colts. They do not appear, however, to have been widely worn in England. A British reader writes, "I have seen Englisg boys wearing these shorts, but only occasionally. They were not very common at all."

France

This French girl here in her school uniform was photographed with a neighbor boy wearing khaki camp shorts during 1965 (figure 1). We have not noted many French boys wearing camp shorts. We have seen them in French catalogs, but they do not seem to have been very popular.

Germany

We have not noted German boys wearing camp shorts.

Italy

Wec have no information on Italy at this time.

Japan

One reader notes that camp shorts were sometimes worn in other countries. He mentions Japan and China, but HBC can not confirm this at this time. We seem to have nited some photographs of Japanese boys wearing them, but not to school.









HBC




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Created: 6:36 PM 10/19/2004
Last updated: 3:53 AM 10/23/2004