The Vintage Inn

As the temperatures rise, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at one of summer’s most iconic wardrobe staples—shorts! From the sporty styles of the 1930s to the playful prints of the 1950s and the sleek tailoring of the 1960s, shorts have been a fashionable choice for both men and women for decades.

In this post, we’ll explore the evolution of vintage shorts through charming advertising, catalog pages, and sewing patterns that showcase the wide variety of styles, cuts, and trends from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Whether you’re a vintage fashion lover or just curious about how summer style has changed, you’re in for a stylish stroll down memory lane.

Further Reading: Short Shorts! Vintage Photos of Folks in Shorts (women & men)

1950s vintage ad for Jantzen Sunclothes featuring cute 1950s shorts and matching tops for women. Fun summer style.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Brief History of Shorts:

While the history of shorts spans over 200 years, I won’t be diving into all of that today. However, if you’re curious to learn more, I came across a fantastic and easy-to-read article that gives a great overview of this popular fashion staple. Once you’ve finished reading my post, be sure to check out “The Long History of Wearing Shorts: The 200-year Evolution of Knickerbockers, Daisy Dukes and WWD’s ‘HotPants’” by Women’s Wear Daily.

1950s vintage photo of young women wearing shorts. Fun 1950s fashions / 1950s Summer Fashions.

Vintage Fashion Ads, Catalog Pages and Sewing Patterns

1930s

Note: Vintage fashion illustrations of people in shorts was a bit difficult to find, as the style was still emerging for both men and women—primarily worn for recreational activities like tennis or beach outings.

I love an outfit that can pull double duty, like this 1930s sportswear set. Featuring a flared button up skirt, short sleeved blouse with breast pocket, darted shorts and belt.

Make this today! Available as a digital download HERE.

1930s Fashion / 1930s Sewing Pattern (avail as a digital download). 1930s sportswear set. Flared button up skirt, short sleeved blouse with breast pocket, darted shorts and belt.

Source: Etsy-JemVintagePatterns

1935 shorts with cute ties on the sides.

1930s vintage fashion illustration of a 1930s woman in shorts with side lacing from 1935. Fun 1930s fashiuon for women.

Source: Vintagedancer.com

Beachwear: 1930s Women’s shorts and bib top (or halter top) sewing pattern. Avail as a digital download HERE.

1930s Fashion / 1930s Sewing Pattern (avail as a digital download) for a women's beachwear outfit of shorts and a bib top (halter top).

Source: Etsy-LadyMarlowePatterns

1940s

1941 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog featuring Junior summer fashions like the sailor suit, pinafore dress and “Sports Change-arounds (blouse and shorts).

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

1940s tennis shorts sewing pattern from Weldon’s.

Further Reading: Vintage Tennis Outfits from the 1920s-1950s

1940s vintage fashion / 1940s sewing pattern for women's Tennis shorts.

1945 Sears ‘Spring / Summer Catalog’ featuring men’s Tennis fashions including shorts.

1940s Vintage Catalog Page/ 1940s Men's Fashion: 1945 Sears catalog page for men's sportswear for tennis like men's tennis shorts

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

1946 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog showcasing ‘Kerrybrooke’ shorts (pleated & twill) for young women.

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

1947 fashion ad for Jantzen “Sunclothes”. Shorts paired with a cotton shirt or a cute bra like top.

1940s vintage advertisement for Jantzen clothes called "sunclothes". Shorts & shirts. 1940s fashion / 1940s summer fashion.

Source: eBay

1940s vintage advertisement for menswear using synthetic yarn (Celanese). The fashion ad features men in suits and pants and one man in shorts at the beach.

1940s vintage advertisement for menswear using synthetic yarn. The fashion ad features men in suits and pants and one man in shorts

Source: Pinterest

Casben Shorts ad from 1947… “He-Man Colours”. Those 12 rugged outdoor colours included even “quiet grey” (thank goodness! hehe).

Note: I did notice that “shorts” are considered in the early days of men’s fashion as “underwear”, not outwear. My search brought up some interesting advertisements ha!

1940s vintage fashion ad for Casben shorts for men featuring an illustration of a man fishing, playing golf and boating with a pretty pinup like 1940s woman in a swimsuit and also shorts and t-shirt is nearby.

Source: Archive.org

One more ad…”Casben Walk-Shorts” for Women and Men as seen in the 11th of November 1950 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly. Fun outfits for summer sailing.

Source: Archive.org

1950s

1950s ‘White Stag’ clothing advertisement featuring Men and Women’s cool summer fashions. Shorts, pedal pushers and more!

Source: eBay

“The best short story of 1954 by Jantzen. Co-starring J-shirts, tailored shorts, sun tops.” 1954 vintage ad from Jantzen.

There’s just something about the year 1955 that I absolutely love when it comes to 1950s fashion. Maybe it’s because, in my mind, it perfectly captures the essence of the decade’s style. It’s far enough removed from the 1940s to have its own flair, yet hasn’t begun transitioning into the 1960s silhouettes we know so well. Whatever the reason, I’m obsessed! Take these fabulous “Play Clothes,” for example—adorable shorts in styles like “short” shorts, plaid denim, cotton gabardine, and Sears’ ever-popular cotton shorts—all featured in the 1955 Sears Spring/Summer catalog.

Further Reading: 1955 Sears Spring Summer Catalog-The Summer Fashions

1950s Fashions / 1950s Summer Fashions for women as seen in a 1955 Sears Spring/Summer catalog. Pedal Pushers, shorts, short shorts and cute tops. Perfect vintage Summer Style!

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

1950s Misses’ Set of Shorts sewing pattern. The bows are cute on the far right pair (avail as an instant download HERE).

1950s Fashion / 1950s vintage sewing pattern / Fun Summer Style: Vintage 1950s Misses' Set of Shorts sewing pattern.

Source: Etsy-DesignRewindFashions

1961 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog. Women’s Summer Tweeds…”they’re cool and crease-shy”. The catalog page features ‘walking shorts’ in lilac stripped & black stripped.

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

1960s

1963 vintage ad for “The Lighter Madrases” a bleeder cotton from India. The ad features men’s Bermuda shorts in plaids, stripes and solids.

Source: Pinterest

1960s vintage fashion ad for ‘Queen Casuals’ featuring Bedord cord Jamaica’s (Bermuda shorts) with embroidered applique (and without) and Linen-look Jamaica shorts. Cute!

Source: Pinterest

“The Long and the Short of It”. 1962 vintage ad for Men’s Summer wear from Robert L. Green featuring a visual example of how to take a suit and turn it into a casual summer look with shorts. Do you like?

1960s Fashion for Men: "The Long and the Short of It". 1962 vintage ad for Men's Summer wear from Robert L. Green featuring a visual example of how to take a suit and turn it into a casual summer look with shorts. Do you like?

Source: Pinterest

“STRETCH-WEAR with a continental flair”. 1964 Sears Spring Summer Catalog featuring women’s stretch Denim shorts and stretch nylon knit shorts.

Fun Fact: A DuPont chemist named Dr. Joseph Shivers invented “Fiber K” in 1958. Released with a name randomly generated by a computer, the new LYCRA^® fiber could stretch so much more than the rubber that inspired it. This new spandex (elastane) fiber could be spun into fine filaments, stretched up to 500% of its original length, and best of all, always, returned to its original shape (Source).

1960s vintage catalog page from 1964 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog featuring women's Stretch clothing made out of stretch nylon. Stretch Denim shorts and stretch nylon knit shorts are featured as well as stretch capri pants and a shift dress.

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

1969 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog for Women’s “walking shorts” in double-knit Darcron Polyster Perma-Prest with natural 2-way stretch.

1960s fashion / 1960s Women's Summer Style, Walking Shorts as seen in a 1969 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog.

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

Thanks for dropping by friends! I hope you enjoyed this fun overview of shorts from the 1930s-1960s.

Question time! Are you a fan of wearing shorts—or not so much? Which era featured above was your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share in the comments below. Hearing from my readers always makes my day!

Vintage Shopping: Would you like to own a pair of vintage shorts? Well my favourite online shopping store, ETSY has you covered! They have loads of styles and even vintage reproduction ones too (aka new modern sizing). Check out my collection HERE.

Further Reading: Vintage Fashions 1920s-1960s (Archived Blog Posts)

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

Father’s Day during the 1940s and 1950s was a time when advertisers pulled out all the stops to celebrate dad in style—and often with a good dose of humor and charm. From snappy slogans to bold illustrations, vintage ads from this era offer a fascinating glimpse into mid-century family life, gender roles, and the kinds of gifts that were considered perfect for the man of the house.

In this post, we’ll take a nostalgic look back at how companies marketed Father’s Day—from ties and tobacco to tools and aftershave.

Let’s begin!

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Fathers – Part 1 & Vintage Photos of Dad’s Part 2

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Brief History of Father’s Day

Father’s Day was founded in Spokane, Washington, at the YMCA in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in Arkansas.Its first celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there. After hearing a sermon about Anna Jarvis’s Mother’s Day at Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday honoring them. Although she initially suggested June 5, her father’s birthday, the pastors of the Spokane Ministerial Alliance did not have enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June (Continue reading how FD became a holiday here: Source).

Source: eBay

Vintage Father’s Day Ads:

1951 ad for “White Stag Sport-Mates…for Father’s Day!”. 1950s summer fashions for men.

Source: eBay

GIBSON Father’s Day Cards -1950s

1950s Vintage Advertisement for Father's Day Cards from GIBSON featuring an illustration of dad and his kids and 1950s wife receiving cards on Fathers Day.

One more 1950s Gibson cards Father’s Day ad. “Brighten Dad’s day with a Gibson Card!”

1950s vintage Father's Day Ad for Gibson Father's Day Cards featuring an illustration of a dad receiving a card from his kids and wife.

Source: Etsy-VintageAdCorps

“At home or away..Don’t forget Father’s Day”. 1943 vintage ad for B.V.D. Underwear, Pajamas, Freedom Shirts and Swim Trunks.

1940s vintage Father's Day ad: 1943 B.V.D. Clothing for Men, Pajamas Shirts.

Source: eBay

Old Gold cigarettes advertisement from the June 1952 issue of Woman’s Day magazine.

Source: Pinterest

“Make your Dad VIP, Very Important Pop of the year!” 1954 McGregor Sportswear shirts vintage ad.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

1946 Seaforth for Men toiletries vintage ad. Shaving, men’s talc, soap and more.

1940s vintage Father's Day ad: 1946 Seaforth for Men toiletries vintage ad. Give the gift of Shaving, men's talc, soap and more.

Source: eBay

1951 vintage ad for Wembley Neckties. Give “Checkered Elegance, Summer’s newest fashion this Father’s Day”.

1950s Vintage Ad for Father's Day-1951 Men's Wembley Neckties. Fantastic early 1950s men's fashion.

Source: eBay

Raise your hand if you have given your dad, husband or received Old Spice yourself as a Father’s Day gift? I know my dad got many a gift package from my brother and I in the 1980s and 1990s.

-1950 Father’s Day ad for Old Spice.