MEMORIES:
When it comes to summer fashion, few are as classic as Bermuda shorts. While the Bermuda short may come in and out of fashion whimsy from time to time, it was the 1950s that saw the biggest Bermuda short boom. And it’s pretty easy to see why – mom, dad, brother and sister were all able to wear the same knee-length style while looking cool and trendy. Plain pastels, bright madras print and even plaid have made their way onto the Bermuda short. As colorful as the shorts are known to be, one thing’s for sure – they didn’t come from Bermuda. They came from British military officers.
Hey, British officers are allowed to be a little hot now-and-then, aren’t they? Well, they didn’t like it much and the turn of the century found the Brits in their tropical colonies (yes, that included Bermuda) with cut-off pants. The locals caught on and started wearing the style with vacationers copying, and before the world knew it, it had a trend on its hands.
By the time the style hit the States, it had been tagged with its now-famous moniker, the Bermuda short. Bermuda shorts were a part of the accepted attire for workers in the tropics. Pant suits, with Bermuda shorts were common; and let us not forget the Bermuda hose.
Back in Bermuda, the shorts were made up of the same material that regular slacks were, right down to the constructed waistband and belt loops. What most Americans found once the style landed upon its shores were fanciful prints, like that zesty madras plaid look, and bright solids. They still had that nice, long length to them, but were nothing like the plain originals. Though the Jamaican short would bring up hemlines a few years down the road, the point of the Bermuda short was to remain cool without becoming even remotely scandalous. The knee socks of the Bermudian businessmen were just as necessary for the respectable girls and boys of the good ol’ U.S of A.
Bermuda shorts have come in and out of style, usually around once a decade. Even the past few summers have seen the Bermuda on clothing store racks, featured in delicious retro-patterns and even a few simple solids. So, for those who just can’t make it a summer without their Bermudas, if they don’t show up on store racks next summer, have no fear. They’ll be back when fickle fashion decides it’s had enough of hot pants and short shorts.
