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U.S. Underwear & Tank Tops
Last Updated: October 29, 2009
WWII Pattern
MarkingsUS Tank Top
Reproduction WWII tank tops. These are not simply modern olive drab wife-beaters. We copied an unissued original from 1942 for pattern and color. The only difference is that originals are tubular and have no side seams. That can be produced, but would require a minimum order of several thousand of each size...so we'll have to suffer. Otherwise, these duplicate the narrow straps and high armpits of the WWII issue shirts. The color is a light khaki-olive; one of several shades seen in WWII. Maker marks include date, QM stock number, and item description. Dated December 1942.
100% cotton. Cold wash hang dry recommended.
$15.00
WWII T-shirt
White, 100% cotton 1940's style t-shirt. These are actually the white version of the USMC T-shirt. However, troops of all services (Army, Navy, and Marine Corps) are often seen wearing plain white t-shirts in period photos. These are "generically" marked with just the size stamp (1, 2, 3 etc).
Hand wash cold/ hang dry will make these last longest, but they are washer/ dryer safe. And this may be the only item we ever sell that you can bleach.
Tip for those who flunked Home Economics 001: If you wash whites (like these T-shirts) with other colors (non-whites... like green or khaki things) it may get tinted. It's best to wash whites together, especially if you're using warm or hot water.
$15.00
Availability
Comparison
to original*
USMC T-shirt
Until 1944, the Marines were issued white t-shirts as their standard undershirt. At this point, the Navy Department determined that white was not the best color for purposes of concealment, so a green version was issued. Prior to this epiphany by the gods of supply, Marines had been dying their white shirts with black, green or brown dye as they had realized the concealment problems some years previously.Our reproductions are dead-on to the original (it took 2 years to find a mint condition one to copy). They have the same external serging, wide, open necks, numbered sizes and 1940's cut. Meaning, unlike modern "homeboy" shirts, ours form to your body. Originals vary greatly in shade, but we got a very good pea green color that matches my original closely. The only deviation was the fabric itself- the manufacturer refused to use material as thin as originals. (They were very flimsy.) This cloth is still thinner than most modern shirts, but it holds up well. I have test-driven one for most of the summer and it's been fine. The closest comparison I can think of is that ours are similar to the soft T-shirts sold by J.Crew.
These are "generically" marked just the size stamp (1, 2, 3 etc).
Washing? Like all our garments, for longest life and least fade, hand wash cold/ hang dry is best. However, these are washer/dryer safe. I've tried it.
$15.00
*Comparison pic: The original is the front shirt. The color is a better match "in person". The original fabric has a grain or texture to it which gives a heathered appearance. Originals also vary widely in shade. It's also about 30% thinner than ours- you can tear it almost as easily as a paper towel. Bottomline, these are puke green like they should be, not olive drab.
Stitching: Yes! The collars are "right". I'm not lying when I said these are reproductions, not simply random shirts we had dyed. Ours have the wide neck and the same double-loop serging around the collar and shoulders. This is clear in the comparison.
For more good photos of original USMC undershirts illustrating both of these points, see "USMC Uniforms, Insignia and Personal Items of WWII" pages 354-359.
Availability
US Boxer Shorts
Reproduction WWII underwear. Khaki poplin with original buttons. Washer/ dryer safe. Sold by US waist size in inches.
Made in USA.
$20.00 or 3/ $50.00
430 Rose Ln.
Columbia, KY 42728PHONE: (270) 384-1965
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FAX: (270) 384-1443Copyright At the Front/CNS, 2002