LR42 ’40s U.S. NAVY DUNGAREE TROUSER

The dungaree trouser has its origins in the working uniform of the U.S. Navy and workwear at large. It was codified in the 1941 Navy Uniform Regulations as the standard issue for sailors engaged in physical duties aboard ship, duties where a more formal uniform would not survive the demands of the work. Simple, functional, and built to last, the dungaree trouser was not a fashion garment in any sense. It was a tool.

What draws our founder to this archetype is precisely that directness. Unlike a jean, which follows a specific construction logic inherited from civilian workwear, the U.S. Navy trouser belongs to a different sewing tradition entirely, one rooted in military garment production, where the priority was durability of construction and ease of movement. The flat felled inseam and outseam, finished on a feed-off-the-arm machine, are among the most visible expressions of this logic, and one of the clearest points of difference from anything in our existing LR line.

The development of the LR42 began with finding an original 1940s USN dungaree trouser to study in depth. From this reference, we worked to reconstruct every detail of the construction as faithfully as possible, while developing a fabric that returns directly to the source, built to the same yarn count as the original WWII U.S. Navy dungaree cloth.

In its modern application, the clean and easy silhouette of the U.S. Navy trouser makes the LR42 an exceptionally versatile piece. It can be worn casually on hot summer days, and carries just as naturally through to winter with fine leather shoes and a shirt and jacket for more refined occasions.