Any Do's & Don'ts in military clothing?

[ButteMT61]

I too spend much of my money in Jr. High school buying from "Jim's Army/Navy" store. It was a place that had the usual stack of everything military - cheap. We all bought and wore it as our statement - although statement is too strong a word. We just liked it. And it was something our parents didn't pick out for us, which was 90% of the draw I'm sure.
My son loves the stuff too, but he's a typical late teen, and manages to make it look cool and different, while I look more like a guy wearing nice historic-looking garb. Of course, with the exception of the surprise Aero B3 I got for his upcoming 19th, my stuff is nicer

 

[Kristofer]

(always a popular option at the time, especially for those of us whose parents were rather cautious about us looking too (para)military).

haha, I came to think of my days in elementary school. In Sweden all kids in elementary school have needlework and woodwork on the schedule. My teacher in needlework refused to use the word camouflage when she spoke of the camo-fabrics. So whenever someone said they were gonna sew something using camo fabrics, she immediately corrected: "you mean birdwatching fabric!".

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I've worn military clothing from a wide range of participants in WW2 and other conflicts. It can be a great way to get an affordable vintage look: a pair of army dress wool trews as worn by a GI in 1942 can easily be dressed up to give a great period civilian look. The only limitation here is with colours. If you're prepared to dabble with Wehrmacht bits, you open up the colour range a bit. Hell, but for the fact that they aren't straight leg (some sort of buckle cuff or similar at the ankles), I'd have no scruples about wearing a repro pair of Algemeine SS trousers - end of the day, they're only black wool trousers. That's a world away from dressing in a full Nazi uniform and/or wearing a Swastika armband. Sensitivity is one thing. I agree with you on your examples, to which I might add the idea of wearing an A2 with an AVG bloodchit bearing the Chinese Nationalist flag in modern Beijing. I'd probably avoid an Irvin in Dresden. But let's not get carried away so far that nobody feels able to wear anything, and we give this stuff too much power over us. The best reason to avoid dressing in military gear from head to toe is that you'll look like a ridiculous wannabe (this may vary from place to place, but here in the UK off-duty and ex-forces typically wouldn't be seen dead in anything that comes close to resembling any kind of uniform issue). On the other hand, the occasional piece thrown into a civilian outfit? By all means, go for it.

Quite right. Common sense is called for when wearing anything with a military background.
I have always liked military gear and clothing not only for the history behind some of it, but also the generally smart tailoring and construction of, (most) of it.
Stuff made for most western armed forces has always been top notch and made for utility and long wear under extreme conditions.

 

[Edward]

haha, I came to think of my days in elementary school. In Sweden all kids in elementary school have needlework and woodwork on the schedule. My teacher in needlework refused to use the word camouflage when she spoke of the camo-fabrics. So whenever someone said they were gonna sew something using camo fabrics, she immediately corrected: "you mean birdwatching fabric!".

Heh, classic. To be fair to my folks, when I was banned from wearing camo, that was back in the days when you'd still hear the occasional horror story of kids getting mistaken for, well, something rather else. I remember an eleven year old getting shot in Derry after being spotted with a cut-out wooden rifle with a length of copper tubing for a barrel. Squaddie only saw him in silhouette, sun glinting off the 'gun barrel'..... At that, the shooter, from memory, wasn't much more than a frightened kid in hostile territory himself. Looking back, I can see why my folks weren't just the spoilsports I thought them to be at the time.

I did wonder if, in the US where more people do hunt (nature of the territory, as much as anything) whether camo gear was more commonly worn by civilians, but I think I read that there is some legal requirement in some states that you wear Hi Vis gear, I suppose in case another hunter just sees movement in the treeline and doesn't realise it's human - which is entirely sensible, of course!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Everyone wears camo, especially in the more rural areas. http://www.militaryuniformsupply.com/kids-military-items-clothing?ectid=b-buycamoclothesforkids%28exact%29-ad2 But blaze orange is required in many areas for those that actually hunt. Only makes sense, and I doubt that game animals care about color, they are more sensitive to sounds, smells,and suspicious movements I think.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

I wore a B15 (or was it a MA1? but I think I remember the mouton collar) as a young teenager (too young and too nerdy to be mistaken for anything else )
and a M65 during last years of High School- first years of University;
but M65 in Italy did not have a clear military association (italian army used for a long time a different combat jacket, I'd say a variation of the M43!!), nor they suggested an idea of "poor people clothes";
on the contrary, I think that during the '80s all the american-themed military stuff was kind of pushed in Italy as some kind of new trend
(in most of his films italian comedian Abatantuono was seen wearing some odd colored M65);

and I actually avoid looking '80s!

On the other hand, I have and wear an italian army trenchcoat, beacuse, devoid as it is of insignia and ranks, it's just a simple, affordable and durable trenchcoat; and I wear a peacoat (based on the american model, so it's not "military" in Italy, but I'd wear also an italian one, without insignia), and that's pretty much all the military stuff I wear.

(I have some other items as collection or former costuming during short movies, but I don't wear them)

ciao!

 

[Cooperson]

We were so poor when I was a kid the only clothes my parents could afford were from the local army & navy store.

It wasn't much fun being 10 years old and going to school dressed as a Japanese Admiral

Ah, the old ones are the best!

 

[FriarTuck]

The orange blaze color is more for the benefit for you & the other hunters, rather than any animal, so as to keep you from getting mistakingly shot at.

 

[Spitfire]

We were so poor when I was a kid the only clothes my parents could afford were from the local army & navy store.

It wasn't much fun being 10 years old and going to school dressed as a Japanese Admiral

Ah, the old ones are the best!

lol

 

[Navin323i]

Cargo shorts also evolved from military fatigue pants.

Now, there I really do have to draw a line. No grown man has any business wearing short trousers, for any reason.

LOL Not sure if you were being serious or not here, Edward... if you were then my apologies. I'm a grown man who loves wearing cargo shorts (extra pockets are a must for me and come in handy when my wife needs me to keep something safe of hers with me when we're out on the town). Cargo shorts/pants are quite the norm here actually.

 

[too much coffee]

LOL Not sure if you were being serious or not here, Edward... if you were then my apologies. I'm a grown man who loves wearing cargo shorts (extra pockets are a must for me and come in handy when my wife needs me to keep something safe of hers with me when we're out on the town). Cargo shorts/pants are quite the norm here actually.

Well said brother man and actually Edward, if you lived in southern Arizona (or served with Monty in North Africa) you would be convinced of the practicality of the cargo pocketed short trousers. Just throwing some levity at you my friend!


Coffee

 

[Spitfire]

I would never wear an Irvin Jacket with Shorts!

But they do look absolutely smashing with pajamas and bathrobes on a quiet sunday morning.

 

[Davy Crockett]

You can't fool me Spitfire! I think I've seen this photo before! and I'm pretty sure this is just after the Aero Leather annual Christmas lunch 2010 at Nacho's Fiesta, 93, High St, Galashiels!!

 

[Fifty150]

LOL

I'm a grown man who loves wearing cargo shorts (extra pockets are a must for me and come in handy when my wife needs me to keep something safe of hers with me when we're out on the town). Cargo shorts/pants are quite the norm here actually.

I don't think I've ever bought a pair. What I usually do is wait until I've worn down a pair of BDU pants. Then I just cut the lower part of the legs off, re-hem them, and I now have a new pair of "cargo" shorts. As a matter of fact, I just got issued another set of BDU's. That means that I'll be making new shorts this week from one of my older sets. In case you're curious, cutting the sleeves off the BDU tops (it gets rid of your police department shoulder patch) makes a very good utility vest for camping and fishing.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Well said brother man and actually Edward, if you lived in southern Arizona (or served with Monty in North Africa) you would be convinced of the practicality of the cargo pocketed short trousers. Just throwing some levity at you my friend!


Coffee

I don't know about that. I live in one of the world's most unpleasantly hot countries and I haven't worn shorts for 35 years. It's personal taste I know but I think they look pretty bad on most adult males.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

Shorts were strictly for non-adults in Italy in the "golden era", and "when I was wearing shorts" is still a byword for "when I was a little boy";

then again, during summer everyone is in shorts.
Well, everyone except me

I've been grown quite conservatively, and I simply can't wear them in town (but I consider shorts ok for vacation, seaside, country etc.)

ciao!

 

[Edward]

LOL Not sure if you were being serious or not here, Edward... if you were then my apologies. I'm a grown man who loves wearing cargo shorts (extra pockets are a must for me and come in handy when my wife needs me to keep something safe of hers with me when we're out on the town). Cargo shorts/pants are quite the norm here actually.

My distate for short trousers is wholly serious, believe me. Of course, I would never presume to tell anyone else what to wear, but for myself, if some place or activity truly requires the donning of a pair of short trousers, then I have no interest in seeing either.

Well said brother man and actually Edward, if you lived in southern Arizona (or served with Monty in North Africa) you would be convinced of the practicality of the cargo pocketed short trousers. Just throwing some levity at you my friend!


Coffee

Meh. I managed a week in Bangalore last year in mostly 38 Celcius heat (it didn't get below 25 at night either, all week). Didn't feel the need of them. Linen and cotton are my friends. That said, I also consider, heat aside, that in that sort of Sun to be out and about all day in short trousers would actually be dangerous. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that short trousers in extreme heat are mostly a caucasian thing, as opposed to people who originate in those climates? Okay, there are all those equatorial tribes who run about starkers, but when you look at the middle East and their traditional forms of dress - those were designed with extreme heat in mind.

But they do look absolutely smashing with pajamas and bathrobes on a quiet sunday morning.

Ah, yes - now there's an image! I am quite the fan of the pyjama, worn properly.

I don't know about that. I live in one of the world's most unpleasantly hot countries and I haven't worn shorts for 35 years. It's personal taste I know but I think they look pretty bad on most adult males.

I'm the same. I honestly believe any supposed advantage they offer (as opposed to a linen, say, or light cotton) is psychosomatic.

 

[Tony B]

I live near the coast in cornwall (not cornish myself though) and must admit one of the pleasures of seeing tourists do "the tourist thing" is when the tykes are down from yorkshire....and it is always tykes......the wife has told the husband that as he is on holiday he wiil wear shorts and he will bloody well enjoy himself whether he likes it or not.

Cue one embarrased looking bloke wearing his normal highly polished black shoes, normal socks pulled up and shirt done all the way up and god awfull coloured shorts bought from the nearest beach shop looking as self conscious and ill at ease as a person can.

As someone who lives down here after London what do I wear most of the summer.......wax jacket, waterproof over trousers and hiking boots but then I am not on holiday and being forced to "enjoy myself whether I like it or not" then for about 1 day in october the shorts and vented shirt go on.

Must admit I wouldn't have been seen dead in shorts when I was in london and in hot climates long trousers are a must ..I was wading while fishing in florida and the sea washed the sunblock off my legs and I got bloody cooked from the knees down.....I was redhead.... when I had hair.

I dont know about kids but the only people I remember seeing wear shorts in london were the footbal fans wearing their teams strip or oiks having a break from the shellsuits...all white stick insects sticking their arms out when they walked doing that George bush /Tony Blair walk because all the muscle that they weren't carrying meant they couldn't get their arms down by their sides.

The only other person who I would regularly see in shorts was some middle aged fella who in the hottest days of summer would go to work wearing bombay bloomers with his tweed jacket, long knee socks and sandles...he even had the handlebar 'tache.....all he needed was a pith helmet and the look would have been complete.

 

[too much coffee]

Absolutely hilarious Tony...........thanks for the laughs!

Devonshire County; always like it down there.

Best regards,

coffee

 

[Tony B]

Must admit it is pretty here but there is a reason it is so "green and pleasant" it never stops raining. When foreigners think of english weather they are thinking of south west english weather....and yes it is true we do always talk about it because you never know what is you are going to be getting from hour to hour.

Having said that today is one of the hottest days of the year with cloudless skies...... and yesterday it was almost freezing and the river tamar broke is banks with the constant terrential rain and flooded the village..this place is crackers.

That is one of the reasons I have given up on the millitary stuff if it isn't fully waterproof it's a niche product that doesn't get that much use........I'm going back east of Dartmoor.