Zuma Shorts in Frogskin Camo

Limited Edition of 50

Our classic Zuma shorts reworked in 10 oz. Frogskin camouflage cotton twill, woven in Japan, with a slightly shorter length than our previous Zuma shorts.

We recommend buying your usual size in these pants.

Length from top waistband to hem - 40cm

Inseam - 12cm

Leg opening - 30cm

This fabric has been specially custom-made and dyed in Japan, to match the original wartime Mil Specs. It is the most incredibly accurate fabric, with the correct weight and firm handle that is found on original military garments of this kind - it is not a fashion lookalike fabric.

In the early part of the Vietnam War some US Special Forces units which required clothing that offered better camouflage qualities than the normal issue 'greens' had custom ‘theatre-made’ garments made from various camo print material. These garments were also issued to their Montagnard strike teams.

Among these camo prints was the US Marine Corps Frogskin pattern, it was the first American attempt at a printed camouflage uniform, coming in 1940 when the US Army Corps of Engineers began experimenting with a disruptive-patterned overall that was tested but never issued. The pattern dubbed "frog-skin" or "leopard spot", was then rushed through testing and approval and shipped to US Marine Raiders in the Solomon Islands. Marines are traditionally involved in amphibious operations such as beach landings. When going into a beach landing the Marines would wear their Frogskin garments with brown side outer most, so as to be best concealed on the beige coloured sand. Once inland they would reverse their garments around to green since they would then be in terrain with mostly green foliage.

The US would later supply the Frog Skin pattern to France who issued it to their 1st and 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiments during the First Indochina War in South east Asia. In 1961, the Cuban Exiles Brigade were issued the Frog Skin pattern by the CIA for the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Made in Portugal using Japanese fabric.