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Favorite Uniforms

BlueTrain

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,073
I was stationed in Germany when I was in the army and that can be a cold, damp place. We still had wool shirts for field use and the heavier cargo pants, too, instead of fatigues for the winter. The rest of the time it was fatigues. One pair of field pants were the old style without cargo pockets.

In WWII there were several less common coats and jackets on issue, most intended for very cold climates. There was a so-called artic version of the field jacket, which was just a slightly longer and slightly heavier jacket. The Navy deck jacket is almost the same except for the color and the additional pocket. I doubt it's still in use. Of the less common coats and jackets, the mackinaw was probably the most widely issued and they appear in a lot of photos. There were also one or two different knee-length coats for cold weather, very much like a civilian coat. The most unusual issue clothing item might have been flannel-lined cotton khaki pants, a style still available.

One interesting point, which I probably already mentioned, was how few uniforms recruits were actually issued when they entered the service.
 

EngProf

Practically Family
Messages
608
I was stationed in Germany when I was in the army and that can be a cold, damp place. We still had wool shirts for field use and the heavier cargo pants, too, instead of fatigues for the winter. The rest of the time it was fatigues. One pair of field pants were the old style without cargo pockets.

In WWII there were several less common coats and jackets on issue, most intended for very cold climates. There was a so-called artic version of the field jacket, which was just a slightly longer and slightly heavier jacket. The Navy deck jacket is almost the same except for the color and the additional pocket. I doubt it's still in use. Of the less common coats and jackets, the mackinaw was probably the most widely issued and they appear in a lot of photos. There were also one or two different knee-length coats for cold weather, very much like a civilian coat. The most unusual issue clothing item might have been flannel-lined cotton khaki pants, a style still available.

One interesting point, which I probably already mentioned, was how few uniforms recruits were actually issued when they entered the service.
In addition to reenacting I have been "collecting" WWII uniforms and field gear for a long time and wear it sometimes in reenacting and sometimes just for day-to-day. That Arctic version of the M41 that you mentioned is noticeably better than the plain M41 and I always felt it was what should have been designed in the first place. It's not as good as the M43 but at least there is some hope that it would keep you warm in a cold climate.

I always like wearing the Type II mackinaw in cold weather. A good compromise between weight and warmth - and they look good, too.
I also wear a repro tanker jacket on moderately cool/cold days when biking to work. That was a very successful design.
 

Harp

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,508
Location
Chicago, IL US
The favorite uniform is worn on ETS day: estimated time of separation from service; otherwise known as 'echo-tango-suitcase'.
I wore Class-A greens and spit shined jump boots.
And the urine tossing hippies at the airport left me all alone.:D
 
Messages
13,460
Location
Orange County, CA
Robert Capa photo of Chinese Nationalist soldier who would have been unusually well-equipped for KMT army.

O0jS3Q2.jpg
 

BlueTrain

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,073
The favorite uniform is worn on ETS day: estimated time of separation from service; otherwise known as 'echo-tango-suitcase'.
I wore Class-A greens and spit shined jump boots.
And the urine tossing hippies at the airport left me all alone.:D
Well, that explains a lot of things. I came home on the bus.
 

DanO

One of the Regulars
Messages
227
Location
San Jose CA
upload_2017-12-18_11-12-54.jpeg


Just an aside is that a Mauser C-96 with the shoulder stock holster attached?
 
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BlueTrain

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,073
Yes and I once owned one with the shoulder stock when I lived overseas. Although in theory not a bad idea and in fact fairly popular for the first twenty years or so of the 20th century, the one I had was not a tight attachment, which detracted somewhat from the effectiveness of the combination.
 

Doctor Jones

Familiar Face
Messages
97
Location
Orange County California
Being a piper my nearly my whole life, I have a lifelong love of Highland Scottish military uniform.

Highland Full Dress is impressive, yes, but my favourites tend to be the khaki uniforms, either Khaki Drill, here

2BLxDG0.jpg


or here, Khaki Serge, in the immediate post-WWII period. This is probably my favourite image of Highland uniform of the hundreds I have

tdZYZDJ.jpg


There's a ready-for-business quality to the khaki uniforms lacking in the ornate finery of Full Dress, though a Victorian Highland Officer in Full Dress is quite impressive

cNu2mS1.jpg
 
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Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,078
Location
London, UK
Being a piper my nearly my whole life, I have a lifelong love of Highland Scottish military uniform.

Highland Full Dress is impressive, yes, but my favourites tend to be the khaki uniforms, either Khaki Drill, here

2BLxDG0.jpg


or here, Khaki Serge, in the immediate post-WWII period. This is probably my favourite image of Highland uniform of the hundreds I have

tdZYZDJ.jpg


There's a ready-for-business quality to the khaki uniforms lacking in the ornate finery of Full Dress, though a Victorian Highland Officer in Full Dress is quite impressive

cNu2mS1.jpg


It's hard to imagine at this historical distance that there were those who went into battle in kilts still in the twentieth century (though that had, from memory, all but died out in early ww2). Especially these days when 90% of the men youj see wearing kilts in Scotland are American tourists or Englishmen at weddings. (You can usually spot the former as theyr'e the foreigner insisting they are Scottish, and the latter as they're the ones doing the "Look! I'm wearing A SKIRT! isn't it FUNNY!" routine. :p ).

I've become quite the fan of the kilt. I've even toyed with the idea of adapting one of those battledress kilt jackets for civilian use when wearing a kilt. Leather football buttons would be nice. KD version would be cool with a kilt in Summer.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,777
Location
New Forest
Being a piper my nearly my whole life, I have a lifelong love of Highland Scottish military uniform.
Have you heard of Bill Millin? Probably the most famous piper in the world. He defied orders, and bullets, by marching from his landing craft on D-Day, unarmed, leading his company whilst playing his pipes up the beach. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-27672376/d-day-bagpiper-who-led-the-troops-onto-the-beaches

I've become quite the fan of the kilt. I've even toyed with the idea of adapting one of those battledress kilt jackets for civilian use when wearing a kilt. Leather football buttons would be nice. KD version would be cool with a kilt in Summer.
You need to keep this retort up your sleeve in case you get asked: "Is anything worn under the kilt?"
"No, it's all in perfect working order."
 

draws

Practically Family
Messages
553
Location
Errol, NH
My favorite uniform just happens to be the 1836 National Lancer Uniform. (A variation thereof). This is a photo taken in Salem, Mass. with me in right front lead position with U.S. Colors and mounted on Grant (16.5H Percheron). Enjoy
National Lancers Salem small.jpg
 
Messages
13,460
Location
Orange County, CA
Of late one of my favorite uniforms is that of the Navy Chief Petty Officer

9E398D41-74F6-44DA-88FF-CE3D0AF5862F.jpeg

This example in my collection is named to Chief Commissaryman (CSC) Hugh L. Kruger (1924-2012) who served aboard the cruiser USS Providence (CLG-6) during the Vietnam era.

BB6CAF95-F6B2-4E32-B339-168AA7090B29.jpeg
 

vintagewool

Familiar Face
Messages
89
This is a broad topic.

Looks
Utility

Mess
Dress
Field

The U.S. state militia uniforms including Civil War Zouaves.
The British regimental uniforms including those invented by wealthy officers who bought their commission and regiment's uniforms.


I posted a thread on the WAVES/SPARS uniform:


For a field combat uniform, there is the iconic 1880s U.S. cavalry uniform with tan cowboy hat, with gauntlets, and with greatcoat including yellow-lined cape.

 
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