Pink trousers and Blue ensigns.. own up!!

M & S don't sell pink trousers so I don't have any.

Red ensign, even though I am entitled to a blue one.

Just a personal view but I don't think any of this matters a jot.
 
There was atime when chaps wore a decent jacket and trousers with tie,I have a picture of some yacht racing in the 1950 with the helmsman so attired.Working sailers in many cases wore mole skin trousers with braces and a waistcoat in warm weather the begining of all this namby pamby "Layered" clothing......nowt better than a string vest!
 
Trousers are usually cheap beige hiking trousers. No desire for a "posh" ensign (but no chip on shoulder towards those that do). However, I do have a couple of canvas smocks with the boat's name and silhouette embroidered on them, and one of them is that dark red colour. Does that count?

Pete
 
mogy said:
There was atime when chaps wore a decent jacket and trousers with tie,I have a picture of some yacht racing in the 1950 with the helmsman so attired.Working sailers in many cases wore mole skin trousers with braces and a waistcoat in warm weather the begining of all this namby pamby "Layered" clothing......nowt better than a string vest!
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I have a feeling that when we eventualy sail away in a year or two I may well take to wearing a suit on board. I've paid out £50 for it, it's practical, good fit and hardly worn so why not sail in a suit? It's only a jacket (with pockets) and trousers, after all.
 
Slow_boat said:
I have a feeling that when we eventualy sail away in a year or two I may well take to wearing a suit on board. I've paid out £50 for it, it's practical, good fit and hardly worn so why not sail in a suit? It's only a jacket (with pockets) and trousers, after all.
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For much of our leg on the ICW in the USA I wore the nice comfy snuggy pyjama trousers they sell in Walmart.

Ensign was tatty red one. Tatty because it had seen a lot of miles.

Never did apply for a blue one.
 
Slow_boat said:
I have a feeling that when we eventualy sail away in a year or two I may well take to wearing a suit on board. I've paid out £50 for it, it's practical, good fit and hardly worn so why not sail in a suit? It's only a jacket (with pockets) and trousers, after all.
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Its only in these recent times that people have taken to wearing clothes specially made for their activity.A suit as you point out is quite alright and has suitable pockets for stuff and has the "Layered" system with waistcoat,shirt and string vest.Looking at oldish photos a suit was the main mode of dress for the masses.
 
mogy said:
Its only in these recent times that people have taken to wearing clothes specially made for their activity.
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Very recent. I did most of my dinghy sailing in ordinary shorts, t-shirt and woolly jumper, cheap thin nylon rain trousers to keep the wind off bare wet legs, and Green Flash type plimsoles. And I'm still in my twenties.

Pete
 
M&S shorts and no ensign round the UK. Maybe occasionally the Welsh Ensign if I see a cluster of blue ones but otherwise dont bother.
 
Nostrodamus said:
It is about time some of you owned up and gave a reasonable explanation to two things that have really been bugging me. I doubt there are many who is man or woman enough but we will see.

1) Who has got or even wears pink trousers and why?
2) Do you fly a blue ensign you are not entitled to and why?

The only time I have seen pink trousers is on boaties no matter what nationality they are and I just cannot understand it.

I am in France and I haven’t seen a red duster for months. They are all blue!

Come on, own up and give a good explanation!
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Got a feeling, that red/pink trousers are something to do with 'walking out gear' (mufti) for artillery officers.

De riguer in Lymington. :D
 
I often get asked by baffled locals why British boats have red, blue and white ensigns. I tell them that it signifies what tipple the owner drinks - red for beer, blue for wine, and white for G&T. Most of them seem perfectly content with this explanation.
 
it's rare for me to offer a view on fashion but I believe the precise shade of pink required for such trousers is often known as "nantucket red"
 
"Nantucket red". Which possibly brings us back to the OPs complaint?

As the Americans were want to say , 'Better Dead than Red' ( followed by 'You Goddam Commie B--stards'):)
 
I think the pink trousers are worn by those trying to get away from the work uniform, but do not have the confidence to not conform.

As for the Blue ensign, don't know, I have a warrant for mine.
 
Blueboatman said:
"Nantucket red". Which possibly brings us back to the OPs complaint?

As the Americans were want to say , 'Better Dead than Red' ( followed by 'You Goddam Commie B--stards'):)
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I agree, it is rather strange, 'cos when I lived there (Nantucket), we used to laugh ourselves sick at all the yuppies, or preppies IIRC from the Hamptons strolling around Main Street wearing them, no really, Mom, Dad and 2 or 3 kids, (geniune) Arran sweaters tied around the waist, ho, ho we chortled........

I may get a pair just to remind me of some wonderful summers......sigh. I miss my dad, sometimes.
 
Ric said:
I often get asked by baffled locals why British boats have red, blue and white ensigns. I tell them that it signifies what tipple the owner drinks - red for beer, blue for wine, and white for G&T. Most of them seem perfectly content with this explanation.
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Do you also tell them that onboard ship, teaspoons are referred to as "Speglies" in deference to Captain Spegle who used his teaspoons to spike the Spanish guns at Mahon in 1798?

Bonus points if you can convince them that Milton Keynes is named after (and the grid layout based on the graph paper used) by economists Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes :-)
 
Ric said:
I often get asked by baffled locals why British boats have red, blue and white ensigns. I tell them that it signifies what tipple the owner drinks - red for beer, blue for wine, and white for G&T. Most of them seem perfectly content with this explanation.
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I am alright then. :D
 
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