What pants go with the A-2?

[rob20uk]

Hey All,

Just a quick Q, what do you all wear with your A-2?

I was thinking of getting some chinos, possibly the Buzz Ricksons original chino. Has anyone any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[blackrat2]

Chinos are good, have gotten the later pattern Bronson ones but not worn em..currently high waisted TCB 40’s

 

[mulceber]

Chinos are excellent - if you can get officer pinks they look great too. For a more casual style, jeans all the way! A nice pair of cords can also be great. The A-2's pretty versatile.

 

[bseal]

Sweats, with racing stripes preferably.

 

[FreddyF9]

Any type of chinos will probably look good with an A-2. Right now my favorite pants to wear with an A-2 are a pair of LVC 1937 501xx; I also wear them with my other flight jackets.

 

[B-Man2]

Sweats, with racing stripes preferably.

You’ve lost it!

 

[Greg Gale]

Billabong Boardshorts

Yeah, A-2s are pretty versatile, just make sure whatever you wear doesn't have a low rise

 

[John Luder]

I have three pairs of khakis (as we call the tan chinos) from What Price Glory. They're a great weight and color. One pair of officer, with zipper fly and flaps on rear pockets. The color very nearly matches my WWII USN unlined officer's cotton coat.
The EM/OR are a slightly different shade, have a button fly and pockets without flaps.
They're made in Pakistan; the waist size might not exactly be your waist. Assuming you need to alter them, I think they're still going to be a good value.
They're easy to hem as the military didn't use a blind-stitch. They're considerably less expensive than Bills Khakis, which aren't made anymore anyway, and also have mismarked waist sizes, sometimes, on ebay.
I wear the EM trousers all the time now, haven't worn jeans for months. Even when it's cold (by our standards, low 40s overnight), the khakis are a better wear than jeans.
Their pinks, last summer, anyway, had a cutting problem, so I returned mine for a refund.

 

[rob20uk]

I have three pairs of khakis (as we call the tan chinos) from What Price Glory. They're a great weight and color. One pair of officer, with zipper fly and flaps on rear pockets. The color very nearly matches my WWII USN unlined officer's cotton coat.
The EM/OR are a slightly different shade, have a button fly and pockets without flaps.
They're made in Pakistan; the waist size might not exactly be your waist. Assuming you need to alter them, I think they're still going to be a good value.
They're easy to hem as the military didn't use a blind-stitch. They're considerably less expensive than Bills Khakis, which aren't made anymore anyway, and also have mismarked waist sizes, sometimes, on ebay.
I wear the EM trousers all the time now, haven't worn jeans for months. Even when it's cold (by our standards, low 40s overnight), the khakis are a better wear than jeans.
Their pinks, last summer, anyway, had a cutting problem, so I returned mine for a refund.

What are EM trousers? Have you a link?

 

[Micawber]

Chinos undoubtedly look good but in the UK in winter? Fine if you are going from home to car, car to office but venture into the great outdoors...nah.

 

[Chandler]

Chinos undoubtedly look good but in the UK in winter? Fine if you are going from home to car, car to office but venture into the great outdoors...nah.

Aren't you pretty much ditching the A-2 in those temps anyway? I would!

18°F (-7.8°C) here right now; house-to-car was N-3B time!

But at least the sun came out!

 

[John Luder]

What are EM trousers? Have you a link?

Enlisted man, Other Ranks to the Brits and Commonwealth.
I'm off to the museum right now. It opens in an hour. I'll be back at a computer around 1700 Calif time if you have any other questions.

https://www.whatpriceglory.com/products/c96-american-militaria/

 

[Micawber]

Aren't you pretty much ditching the A-2 in those temps anyway? I would!

18°F (-7.8°C) here right now; house-to-car was N-3B time!

But at least the sun came out!

We are a hardy breed...

But seriously yes of course you are right although the season was not specified. Yesterday saw me up a ladder thawing out drainpipes clad in an old tweed, quilt lined shooting coat, gloves, woolly hat and rigger boots. No space in my life for natty high rise Chino's or A-2's out there at present

 

[Happy Hooligan]

Pretty much anything looks great in with an A2. Chino's are good as they look like what was originally worn with them. But Selvedge denim looks great and also pretty much anything else.
You really can't go wrong.

 

[Chandler]

You really can't go wrong.

Well, you can -- but please don't.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Ah, I dont know...pants?

 

[Chandler]

Ah, I dont know...pants?


View attachment 89487

Who's the goof almost to the back who's out of step? Draftee.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Lol good one Chandler...!

 

[Smithy]

Seriously get a pair of these as they're unbelievable value, sturdy as hell, wonderfully cut (great 40s rise) and seriously comfortable to wear. Best chinos I've had. I've bought 2 pairs already and am going to buy a third.

https://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/shop-...er-service-trousers-chinos-by-kay-canvas.html

Effing love them.

 

[John Luder]

Ah, I dont know...pants?


View attachment 89487

They're all officers, and all over 30, some well over.
They're wearing a mix of the regulation shirts: khaki (tan), pinks, chocolate, OD. All colors were available in gabardine; only the khaki was available in cotton twill and poplin. The ties will be khaki, OD, or chocolate, no black after late '41 except for wearing old stock till it wore out.
I'm going out on a limb and suggest that most of the trousers are wool, not cotton, mostly because of the drape. The legs of the trousers are nearly stove-piped, apparent on a couple of the men.
No one has pleats, so no one has custom trousers or trousers made in the UK or Oz.
They strike me as khaki colored, and not pinks. But in 40 years of marriage, I've learn(t)(ed) to say, "I could be wrong".
But now I'm intrigued with the dating. Hotel Tulare was on the main drag in town and Rankin Field was nearby.
Dany, where did you find this? Does it have a caption?