BACKGROUND: The German army utilized a wide variety of long trousers and breeches including the M35 dress pants, the standard straight legged long pants, drill and field pants, tapered "keilhose" pants and assorted specialized pants designed for specific branch of service personnel such as the Mountain troopers pants, the Panzer and Assault Gunner’s pants and breeches for mounted personnel. Mounted personnel in all branches of service utilized the riding breeches which were to be worn with most of the uniform types. As with the standard issue long pants the mounted officer’s breeches were originally produced in stone grey fabric until 1940 when regulations dictated that newly produced breeches be constructed in field-grey fabric. Originally the seat and crotch of the riding breeches were out-fitted with a leather reinforcement panel which was replaced, early in the war, with a dual-ply, field-grey wool or wool blend material reinforcement panel due to leather shortages. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase garments of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Issued feldgrau wool construction. Buttons are a combination of original and replaced which is common. Roughly a 32" waist. 1940 Berlin Depot marking.