Description
Physical description
trousers
rough navy blue serge bell-bottomed trousers with a flap-front button fastening. The trousers are unlined except for the upper part which has a lining in blue and white striped cotton. The owner's name is ink stamped onto the cotton lining at the back.
Label
Bell bottomed trousers, introduced for wear in 1857, remained an 'icon' of Royal Navy rating's 'square rig', until well into the 1970s.This particular pair, worn by a Radar Plotter 3rd Class who saw service in the Far East towards the end of the Second World War, is made in rough navy blue serge, but they were also made in a thinner wool for 'best' and in heavy duty white cotton for wear on tropical stations. Bell bottomed trousers were practical garments for men who worked sailing ships since they could be rolled up securely to clear the feet and ankles when working the rigging. In common with all other items of a sailor's kit, trousers were kept folded ready for use in a kit bag. Kept inside out to avoid fluff on the outer surface and to avoid 'shine' by ironing, they were folded horizontally at about a hand's width and taped into a rectangular 'block'. When worn, this produced inverted vertical creases down the side of the leg and five or seven, depending on the height of the wearer, horizontal creases down the leg. In time these were accepted as the thing to have and were pressed firmly into place from the early years of the century. Since the First World War bell bottoms were purchased for tradition rather than any practical use but were replaced by flared trousers in 1977
History note
Bell bottomed trousers, introduced for wear in 1857, remained an 'icon' of Royal Navy rating's 'square rig', until well into the 1970s. This particular pair, worn by a Radar Plotter 3rd Class who saw service in the Far East towards the end of the Second World War, is made in rough navy blue serge, but they were also made in a thinner wool for 'best' and in heavy duty white cotton for wear on tropical stations. Bell bottomed trousers were practical garments for men who worked sailing ships since they could be rolled up securely to clear the feet and ankles when working the rigging. In common with all other items of a sailor's kit, trousers were kept folded ready for use in a kit bag. Kept inside out to avoid fluff on the outer surface and to avoid 'shine' by ironing, they were folded horizontally at about a hand's width and taped into a rectangular 'block'. When worn, this produced inverted vertical creases down the side of the leg and five or seven, depending on the height of the wearer, horizontal creases down the leg. In time these were accepted as the thing to have and were pressed firmly into place from the early years of the century. Since the First World War bell bottoms were purchased for tradition rather than any practical use but were replaced by flared trousers in 1977