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What’s This About
Nantucket Reds are cotton canvas trousers and shorts from Murray’s Toggery Shop on Nantucket, made in a brick red that fades to dusty pink.
This guide covers their story and how to wear them, such as
The Breton sailcloth that inspired the colour
The Murray family shop that introduced them around 1960
How The Official Preppy Handbook made them famous in 1980
Why the fade matters and how the canvas wears
Seven outfit ideas from navy blazer to duck boots
and many more!
Pair them with navy, white, blue or khaki, match them to the occasion and let the colour fade naturally.
Key Points
01Murray’s Toggery Shop introduced Nantucket Reds around 1960.
02The cotton canvas fades from brick red to dusty rose.
03They suit casual summer events, not black tie or formal interviews.
04The trousers describe a colour and cloth, not anyone’s background or wealth.
Nantucket Reds are cotton canvas trousers, shorts and other clothes sold by Murray’s Toggery Shop on Nantucket, made in a brick red that fades towards a dusty pink with washing, sun and salt air.
They are a familiar sight on the island, a New England summer place off the coast of Massachusetts, and a staple of preppy wardrobes across America.
This guide explains what Nantucket Reds are, the documented story of the shop that sells them, why the fade matters, and how to wear faded red trousers today, with seven outfit ideas.
Sources disagree on when Murray’s Toggery Shop first sold the trousers.
The shop’s own history dates them to 1960 and Boston.com to the 1960s, while Ivy Style’s history has red canvas trousers made for the shop by the late 1950s.
They are often linked with the contemporary quiet luxury and Old Money labels, but a pair of red trousers says nothing certain about anyone’s family, school or wealth.
Boston.com reported in 2024 that President John F. Kennedy wore “conspicuously red slacks” on a summer golf outing in 1963, and the trousers have appeared in preppy style guides ever since The Official Preppy Handbook praised them in 1980.
Where Nantucket Reds Come From
The Breton sailcloth story
Murray’s says the cloth was inspired by the red sails seen along the coast of Brittany in France.
Breton fishermen in the nineteenth century treated canvas sails with tannins from tree bark to stop mildew, and the resulting red faded gradually in sun and salt water, as Boston.com explains.
The idea of a hard-wearing red canvas that softens and fades with use is the link between those sails and today’s trousers.
Stories that the New York Yacht Club, founded in 1844, added red trousers to its uniform could not be confirmed, so this guide does not repeat them.
Today faded red trousers are a common sight at sailing clubs and regattas along the East Coast.
The Murray family and Murray’s Toggery Shop
The shop’s story, as told by the shop and by Ivy Style in 2021, runs through three generations of the Murray family.
Philip Murray Sr. came to Nantucket from the Azores; his family says he arrived as a 12-year-old stowaway and worked as a day labourer when the island’s cranberry bogs were being built.
The Toggery Shop opened on Main Street in 1916, and in 1945 Philip Murray Jr. bought it and renamed it Murray’s Toggery Shop.
His son Philip C. Murray, born on Nantucket in 1921, studied economics at Oberlin College, served in the Philippines in the Second World War and spent five years in Richmond helping veterans with the American Legion before returning to the island in 1951.
Philip C. Murray bought the store from his father in 1959, and in 1963 he bought the neighbouring Louis Coffin dry goods store, which became the women’s department.
According to Ivy Style, the red canvas trousers were made over the years by M. Hoffman of Boston, then by the British sail company Rockall from the late 1950s, and later by other manufacturers.
Before they had an official name, the shop’s summer workers called them “Hulbert Avenue Reds”, after a street on the island; Philip C. Murray chose the name Nantucket Reds and, according to Ivy Style, trademarked it in 1980.
The family still runs the shop, now in its fourth generation, according to Boston.com.
From Island Shop to Preppy Staple
The trousers began as hard-wearing casual clothes sold alongside the practical gear in a working island shop.
As Nantucket became a busier summer destination, visitors bought them too, and wearing a faded pair became a familiar island habit.
Philip C. Murray was a lively promoter of the shop; Ivy Style recounts that he once led a pony into the Main Street window and raffled it off.
Over time the trousers became linked with summer sailing and with the wider East Coast yacht club style.
The Official Preppy Handbook
In 1980 The Official Preppy Handbook, a humorous guide to preppy culture edited by Lisa Birnbach, became a bestseller.
It named Murray’s the official outfitter for all island activities, listed Nantucket Reds fifth on its approved trouser list and called them “de rigueur at country and yacht club affairs with a blazer and club tie”, as Ivy Style and the shop record.
Asked about the book in a 1986 interview with Business Digest, Philip C. Murray laughed and said, “We got a lot of business because of that book”, according to Ivy Style.
Since then the trousers have become a standard example of preppy style, and many other retailers sell their own faded red trousers.
Readers also bring their own associations. Some see the trousers as a cheerful summer tradition, and others as a signal of an exclusive Old Money world.
Both readings are opinions about a label, and the trousers themselves are simply durable cotton canvas in a fading red.
What Makes Nantucket Reds Distinctive
The fade, from brick red to dusty rose
The defining feature is the fade.
New pairs are brick red, and with sun, salt air and repeated washing they soften towards a muted pink often called dusty rose.
The fade is uneven, so seams and creases keep more of the original colour.
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The trousers have been marketed as “guaranteed to fade”, and Ivy Style notes that unworn vintage pairs can show white pocket linings turned pink, because the dye moves even without washing.
For many wearers the appeal is that each pair ends up a slightly different shade, shaped by how often it is worn and washed.
Canvas, comfort and durability
Nantucket Reds are made from cotton canvas rather than the twill used for most chinos.
New canvas feels stiff and slightly rough, then softens with wear and washing.
The cloth is medium weight, sturdy enough to keep its shape and last for years, yet light enough for summer.
Traditional versions have no stretch, which some people find less comfortable than modern stretch chinos.
Murray’s has also sold an M Crest line, made in the United States by Gitman, according to Ivy Style.
Any well-made red cotton garment will fade in a similar way, so choose by fit and cloth rather than by the label alone.
How to Wear Nantucket Reds in Seven Outfit Ideas
Faded red goes best with navy, white, light blue, khaki, grey and cream.
Keep the rest of the outfit simple so the trousers are the one strong colour.
With a navy blazer, Ivy League style
The classic pairing comes from the Ivy League look. That means a navy blazer, a white Oxford button-down shirt and brown loafers, with a repp tie if the occasion calls for one.
Wear a navy blazer, white Oxford shirt, faded red trousers and brown loafers.
On the water
For a day by the harbour, pair the trousers with a navy and white striped Breton top and brown boat shoes, in the spirit of Newport casual style.
Wear a Breton top, faded red trousers and brown leather boat shoes.
Warm-weather resort
In hot weather, a cream linen jacket and a light blue shirt keep the look light, with beige or tan loafers.
Wear a cream linen jacket, light blue shirt, faded red trousers and tan loafers.
Beach evening
For an evening by the beach, wear a white linen shirt with a navy jumper over your shoulders and espadrilles.
Wear a white linen shirt, navy jumper, faded red trousers and navy espadrilles.
Cape Cod casual
For a relaxed coastal weekend, a navy jumper, a baseball cap and boat shoes keep the trousers casual; our Cape Cod nautical style handbook, a paid guide from The VOU, covers this look in more detail.
The look relies on simple, practical clothing in navy, cream and red.
Wear a navy half-zip jumper, faded red trousers, brown boat shoes and a baseball cap.
In town
For a smarter day in town, wear a white shirt, a striped tie and polished loafers, and keep the trousers pressed.
Check the dress code first, because most offices and formal events expect more conservative trousers.
Wear a white shirt, striped tie, faded red trousers and brown loafers.
Cold coast
In cooler weather, a navy knitted jacket, a red and black check flannel shirt and duck boots give the trousers a rugged New England feel.
Wear a check flannel shirt, navy knitted jacket, faded red trousers and duck boots.
By season and occasion
Summer is the main season, from beach walks and boat trips to garden parties and casual dinners.
In spring and autumn, add a light jumper or a tweed jacket; in winter, keep them for indoor events or mild days, or skip them.
A newer, brighter pair looks a little smarter, while a well-faded pair suits relaxed outfits.
For a modern twist, wear them with a plain white T-shirt and white trainers, or a denim jacket, as some people do with streetwear.
As with any seasonal fashion choice, read the occasion. Red trousers suit a summer wedding with a relaxed dress code, but not a job interview at a formal company, a black tie event or a funeral.
Nantucket Reds and Class
Because of their link with an expensive summer island and with the Preppy Handbook, Nantucket Reds are sometimes treated as a symbol of old money.
Some writers find them charming, while others see them as a costume of privilege, and our guide to Old Money dress codes discusses how such labels are used.
Clothes do not prove anyone’s background, and many people who wear faded red trousers simply like the colour and the cloth.
Fashion moves on, as our article on fashion trendsetters shows, and wearing Reds is a matter of personal taste rather than a statement anyone has to make.
Beyond the Trousers
Murray’s sells far more than trousers, including shorts, shirts, caps, bags and other goods in the same faded red.
According to Ivy Style, Orvis has sold Murray’s products since 2011.
Many other preppy clothing brands sell their own red or faded red trousers under other names.
A cheaper pair from a fast fashion retailer may not fade in the same way, so check the fabric, usually a 100% cotton canvas or twill, and the dye before you buy.
Nantucket Reds Terms
Reds is shorthand for Nantucket Red trousers or shorts.
Murray’s refers to Murray’s Toggery Shop on Main Street, Nantucket, which sells Nantucket Reds.
Toggery is an old word for clothes, used in shop names.
Hulbert Avenue Reds was the name the shop’s summer workers used before “Nantucket Reds”, according to Ivy Style.
Dusty rose describes the faded pink that well-worn Reds reach.
ACK, the code for Nantucket Memorial Airport, is often used as shorthand for the island.
Go-to-hell trousers is a slang name for brightly coloured or patterned trousers, a group that includes red ones.
Madras and Reds is a summer pairing of a madras check shirt with faded red trousers or shorts.
Six Facts About Nantucket Reds
These facts come from the shop’s own history, Ivy Style (2021) and Boston.com (2024).
1. The cloth was inspired by the tannin-treated red sails of Breton fishing boats.
2. Philip C. Murray’s first job at the family shop was sweeping the pavement outside.
3. The shop’s summer workers called them “Hulbert Avenue Reds” before they were named Nantucket Reds.
4. The name was trademarked in 1980, the year The Official Preppy Handbook praised them.
5. Philip C. Murray once raffled off a pony from the shop’s Main Street window.
6. Unworn vintage pairs can show pocket linings turned pink by the dye.
Nantucket Reds Do’s and Don’ts
Scroll horizontally to see all columns →
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Let the colour fade naturally with wear and washing | Bleach or artificially distress them |
| Pair them with navy, white, light blue and khaki | Wear faded red from head to toe |
| Wear them for casual summer events | Wear them to black tie events, funerals or formal interviews |
| Choose by fit and cloth | Assume the label or price guarantees quality |
| Accept a few creases on a relaxed day | Wear them crumpled to a smart occasion |
| Wear them if you like them | Feel you have to wear them to fit a style |
Fit and the silhouette you prefer are different choices, so a straight cut and a slightly tapered cut can both look right if each fits you well.
Conclusion
Nantucket Reds are hard-wearing cotton canvas clothes from a family shop on Nantucket, inspired by the red sails of Brittany and loved for the way they fade.
Their fame grew with summer visitors, sailing clubs and The Official Preppy Handbook, and today many brands sell similar faded red trousers.
To wear them, keep the rest of the outfit in navy, white, blue or khaki, match the formality to the occasion, and let the colour soften over the summers.
For more on the wider preppy fashion wardrobe, the aesthetic styles it sits beside, or second-hand finds in our vintage clothing shopping guide, see our related guides, or our explainer on what fashion is.
Quizzes and personal help from The VOU
None of these tools is needed to wear the outfits above, but some readers like extra help when choosing clothes.
Take our three quizzes first, then book a consultation if you want personal help.
1. Check your body shape
Check your body shape with the body shape quiz for men.
2. Find your seasonal colours
Find your seasonal colours with the seasonal colour quiz for men.
3. Take the fashion style quiz
Take the fashion style quiz for men to see which styles and outfit ideas match what you like wearing.
Book a consultation for personal help
For personal help, you can book paid consultations with The VOU’s image consultants and stylists, including a fashion style analysis for men.