Trousers

We take pants for granted, but they are a relatively new piece of clothing to be worn by man and not even a hundred years has passed since women in civilized countries started regularly wearing them. Exceptions aside, of course.

What are all these "field trousers" or "cargo pants" and how on earth are worker trousers related to our business? Read on to find out.

A buyer’s guide and general info about trousers

A good pair of trousers lasts a long time, so it makes sense to pay attention to what you get. The good side of army surplus pants is that you don’t have to sacrifice quality even if you want to avoid paying a high price. Look for that magic word if you’re price-conscious.

Fit principles

Most trousers sold by us are designed with regular body proportions in mind, which means that the waist should stay up without a belt, but overall fit still allows freedom of movement. In case of exceptions we have mentioned them in the product description.

In some cases the waistband is adjustable, so you’re not out of luck even if your waist is smaller relative to your hip and thighs. Pleats and darts are used to curve the waist, so you have room to move below the waist.

Measure first

The best thing you can do before buying anything is carefully measure your waist and inseam. Waist is measured below the navel but above the hipbone. One trick is to take existing trousers (non-elastic!) that fit you well, measure the width of the waistband and multiply it by two.

For more information about sizing in general and various size charts (US army, German Bundeswehr, Austrian Heer etc.) please click here.

Field and Cargo trousers

Armed forces have worn various kinds of trousers almost as long as the latter have existed. Combat trousers are basically work trousers adapted for the needs of the military: the colours are subdued and they often have reinforced knees.

Cargo pockets seem like a modern invention but have been around for quite some time. With time more specialized pockets have appeared and combat pants of the new millennium are rather evolved pieces of kit.

Jeans and work trousers

As the name implies, these were designed with hands-on work in mind. The fabrics are rugged and coarse even, because the users were not rich and the clothes had to last. In a class society gentlemen would rather be seen dead than wearing anything but the finest clothes - which of course were not suitable for any physical activity.

Although many blue collar workers these days have hi-viz clothing with very specialized features, the good old work trousers and jeans are still fit for the job. As an added benefit you can retain a stylish look when you meet people after work. Our selection includes Särmä Jeans and Särmä Worker Trousers as a staple, but we also sell surplus work clothes and prisoners’ trousers whenever we can get them.

Shorts and sports trousers

Shorts are a lightweight option if you are into fast and sweaty business. Even modern armies issue combat shorts to their soldiers, because if they didn’t the issue trousers would be soon cut above the knee for comfort.

In addition to camo shorts we have actual sporting purpose shorts made from synthetic materials and sometimes flashy colours. These are issued to servicemen for activities around the garrison to keep everyone equally humiliated. They are also often obscenely short.

Wool and dress trousers

There was a time when soldiers dressed like gentlemen. Wool was a common material because it’s naturally fire-retardant, breathes rather well and keeps the soldier warm. Modern materials are lighter and cheaper to produce, which is why they have become the norm.

What once were parts of field uniforms have become parade clothing, and quite often the fabrics are mixed: diagonal wool with viscose, or plain synthetics. Our regular selection of surplus parade trousers include clothes from German, Dutch, Italian and other European countries.

As a complete opposite of the above we have Särmä TST wool trousers, which are modern combat pants all the way, but the base material is wool just like all soldiers wore in the 40’s.

Winter trousers

With the introduction of layered clothing many insulated clothes have vanished from common use, but winter trousers are relevant even today. Instead of just a shell to wear on top of everything else, winter trousers have insulating material and lining to keep the wearer warm.

Typical winter trousers have a high waist and suspenders (these are bibs actually) and a very loose fit, so you can don them quickly when you stop moving and shed them equally fast when you have to go-go-go.