BACKGROUND: Originally members of the fledgling SS had no official uniform until April 1925 when they adopted, what was to become known as the, "Tradition Uniform" and personnel were outfitted with the same brown shirt uniform and kepi as the SA. In November 1925 personnel of the newly formed SS adopted a black kepi, necktie, breeches and border trim on their armbands to distinguish themselves from their SA counterparts. On July 7TH 1932 the black service uniform, for Allgemeine-SS, (General SS), SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), and SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police) personnel was first introduced to replace the brown shirt, "Tradition", uniform. The black service uniform included straight legged, trousers with white piping to the outside leg seams for wear with the standard service and the evening dress uniforms. For some unknown reason the straight legged, trousers with white piping were withdrawn from service sometime in 1936 and were reinstated as per regulations of April 1ST 1937. With the outbreak of WWII the black service uniform was replaced with field-grey uniforms for all but Allgemeine-SS personnel. On June 8TH 1942 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered that all black service uniforms in the possession of Waffen-SS personnel were to be returned to clothing depots in an attempt to overcome material shortages. By 1943 even Allgemeine-SS were being outfitted with field-grey uniforms and the black uniforms were to be reintroduced at the successful conclusion of the war.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very nice quality, black wool construction straight legged, long pants. The pants feature a vertical four button French fly with an additional button at the waistband. The pants have two, diagonally angled, slash front pockets and a small horizontal slash watch pocket situated to the right side of the fly below the waistband. The bottom edge of the right side waistband has a small horizontal wool loop designed for securing a watch chain. The reverse of the pants have a horizontal slash pocket with a single button closure to the right seat. The reverse of the pants also have two vertical, tapering darts and dual horizontal fit adjustment straps with corresponding blued sheet metal gripper buckles. The exterior waistband has two of the original eight evenly spaced suspender buttons and the typical, "V" slash to the reverse center. The outside leg seams each have inset vertical white wool piping. The interior bottom edges of the cuffs have a narrow reinforcement strip of black rayon to the reverse halves and forward halves have a triangular tan buckram reinforcement panel machine stitched in place. The interior waistband lining and the internal pocket bags are all constructed in white ribbed rayon/cotton blend material. The waistband lining is well marked with faint black inkstamped initials, "VA", indicating, Verwaltungstamt, (Administration Department), and the date, "1939". The waistband lining also has black inkstamped size markings and a manufacturers inkstamp that appears to be, "Bekleidungswerkstätteri, (Clothing Workshops), Walter Hartung Magdeburg". The pants are in overall excellent condition and retain all of their original nap. The buttons are all the molded black bakelite type and appear to have their original stitching. The pants are roughly size 34" waist.