Why Nantucket Reds came to define East Coast privilege.

If you are planning a trip to Cape Cod, one of the must have’s to signify that you came here is the coveted Red duds that scream East Coast! Booking your room at Frederick William House Bed & Breakfast to visit Cape Cod and the islands will help you start shopping!

Now onto why Nantucket Reds came to define East Coast privilege…

Nantucket Reds were a style of trousers produced and distributed by Murray's Toggery Shop on Main Street on the island of Nantucket, in Massachusetts. Today the line up goes far beyond the original trousers. You can still visit the shop today and buy your Reds from the original shop that produced them on Nantucket. Throughout the last six decades, they have become the “colors” of the elite on Cape Cod and the islands. The rusty red wardrobe communicates wealth and privilege simply by sporting a pair of trousers, or dinner jacket. Where I grew up, the only “colors” groups of people were sporting were “banned” bandanas that represented gangs. But I think we can agree that this is a gang, with different requirements to be considered part of the club. It has always fascinated me, the idea of identifying oneself as part of a group through clothing and colors. That topic is text book worthy…military groups did it, politicians, charities, societies…the use of specialized clothing to identify a movement, group, and army is not a new concept. The Romans did it. Perhaps I am a little “negative Nancy” on the idea of wearing clothing that states status, or affiliation of any kind. But we do not live on a unified planet, so I will get on with the history…

Nantucket Reds got their start there in the 1960s, when second-generation owner Philip C. Murray introduced a canvas cloth reminiscent of the red-sailed boats off the coast of Brittany in France. According to a 2017 Racked article, Breton fishermen in the 1800s tanned canvas sails with tannins from tree bark to prevent mildewing. The subsequent red hue faded gradually with exposure to saltwater and sun, and fishermen reportedly used leftover canvas for clothing.

Murray’s product caught on in a big way, when President John F. Kennedy was filmed wearing Reds on a summer golf outing in 1963. Not long after that vacationers were turning up to cocktail parties and yachting adventures wearing Reds. JFK’s golf attire set in motion a trend that has lasted even longer than the trends of Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

Array of Nantucket Red Blazers

By 1980, “The Official Preppy Handbook” was praising Murray’s as the “official outfitters for all island activities” and commemorating Nantucket Reds as a cornerstone of preppy summer attire.

Below is selection of Nantucket Reds for sale inside Murray’s Toggery Shop, where the style originated, on Nantucket.

Nantucket Red Baseball Caps at Murray’s Toggery in Nantucket

A 2021 article in The Wall Street Journal debated the matter, questioning whether Reds err on the side of cheesy, timeless, out-of-place, or all of the above. The article even gave visual references on modern takes of the classic, paired with t-shirts instead of button ups giving the classic a fresh new vibe.

Jack Carlson, founder of Rowing Blazers, told WSJ the color “goes with almost everything” — much like a pair of jeans, only “more interesting.” Both Parker and Murray Soverino acknowledged some truth to the “posh” stereotype reflected in “The Official Preppy Handbook.”

On the East Coast, Nantucket Reds have become their own neutral, just like any khaki would, or denim.

Women’s collection of Nantucket Reds

The shop still sees the sort of customers who’d fit right in at the yacht club, but it also gets patrons who work on boats and like Reds for their durability.

People from all over the country shop there. Multi-generational families, people coming in to get their first pair of Nantucket Reds, just like their grandfather did so many years ago. I took both of my kids to shop there before the season got insane, to buy matching tops for our family beach photo that would become our Christmas Facebook post. We spent 4 hours together in the shop for our photo ensemble. It was a shopping adventure all of us will remember for years to come. Along with our “reds” (matching Nantucket Red turtlenecks) we bought matching Vineyard Vines tops. The staff helped deck us all out, and we looked spectacular!

My children and I in our matching outfits, outfitted at Murray’s Toggery.

It’s all about the pants!