Mariners Attire

[E.Martin]

Before I went to sea fishermen wore duffle trousers,they had a flap as opposed to flies,
In my time again some of the lads had cow boy suits with the curved Gene Aurtry pockets
In the sixties some Lowestoft fishermen wore brightly coloured suits,bright red,yellow,blue green I even see a tartan suit.
The Cunard Yanks had their gaberdine macks,others had their shark skin suits and shirts.
Myself I reckon you cannot beat a decent suit with a collar and tie,the suit of course have to have
a knife sharp crease.

[Ivan Cloherty]

When I was a young un on trawlers out of Hull to Bear Island and further north (50's) the boys always ordered new suits every couple of trips the majority of which were in pastel colours, with pleated jackets (down the middle) and bell bottom trousers, these had a practical use apart from the colours on which no one dare comment, even the bright yellow!. The boys usually joined on a lockhead jump (riggers mostly took the trawlers to the lockhead) wearing their suits, never got changed, just folded their trousers around and put on the thigh boots, the pleated jackets allowed freedom of movement as they went about the sailing duties, most never changed until the had passed Spurn Point, suits put in the duffel bag until passing Spurn Point inwards

[j.sabourn]

Always remember buying hand made shoes in India, and suits in Hong Kong. Were cheap in those days, not so cheap now. Don't forget the fisherman with the ring in his ear, maybe this is where the trend started, although these days is more likely to be through the eyebrow or the tongue, and some say the navel and of course the nose, which always reminds me of the old bull with his ring through the nose, maybe some are trying to emulate. JS

[rob mcc]

those of us on the south american runs [BAand motividio] bougt alot of leather and sheepskin jacket

[gray_marian]

Anyone have photographs wearing the outfits specified so far?

[happy daze john in oz]

A new suit every voyage was quite common back then. Now I have none, all went when I retired just a jacket and trousers but only on special occasions, mainly shorts and bare feet now.
ut I do recall a mate of mine having apair of shoes made for him in Hong Kong. a most beautiful pair in brown leather. Great antuil he went out in the rain one night, bloody things were made of cardboard.

[j.sabourn]

They say Cappy got his seaboots hand made, that's why he was so #issed off when the sheep galloped off with them. Js

[Ivan Cloherty]

Anyone have photographs wearing the outfits specified so far?

You may find some on tinternet if you Google Hull trawlers 1950's but doubt they will be in colour, unfortunately even a camera in my time on trawlers was an unheard of luxury and may have got my ears boxed for wasting time taking them bleedin fotos wen 'aint ye supposed to be working lad'

[cappy]

They say Cappy got his seaboots hand made, that's why he was so #issed off when the sheep galloped off with them. Js

####never had seaboots ......in south sheilds we always were bare footed.....but know alot of them from north shields......had sowesters oilskins andwooly jumpers along with seaboots.......before they were out the shields piers ........present co excepted .......ah the wooly jumpers...regards cappy

[Keith Tindell]

South American run, jack the lad, black fur lined jacket, leather fur lined boots, levi`s, used to be 5-6 of us all dressed the same, the big Brylcream quiff, and the ducks ****. What plonkers we must have looked, but happy happy days, KT