Dressing up in military clothing is not just the preserve of young children, who like go all army in the garden or play pilots in great air battles in the playground. The fashion of wearing vintage military clothing is also one seen in adult circles now, in fact it’s a booming sector of the clothing market.

The fashion for military clothing is as popular as ever today. During the Eighties no fashion-conscious activist would be seen without a green moleskin coat emblazoned with a red, orange and black flag, but the fashion for wearing this type of clothing grew more mainstream in the Nineties when Grunge was popular and young people grew to appreciate the fashion options military clothing offered at the time and perhaps forever. Camouflage patterns became just another fabric print, and soon, pants, overcoats, underpants, headscarves and socks could be purchased in the design. Military wear is actually quite a diverse sector in itself; camouflage is just about blending into the surroundings, so jungle, sand-coloured, grass-green, white snow and countryside versions all emerged (or didn’t make show up, depending on where the person was standing). When somebody creates a camouflage pattern that looks just like a busy car park, the design will be right up to date.

As far as a fashion sector, men’s military clothing can be split into distinct types: battlewear or combat wear and formal wear. What’s helping the market grow is that there’s a range of vintage clothing outlets selling authentic or real military wear from the past, be them standard issue garments or fashionable reproductions.

Military clothing from combat operations is usually composed of the previously-discussed camouflage, with all kinds of dull greens, greys, beiges and browns available. Even now, military wear in the High Street remains edgy and leading. It is almost exclusively casual, too – someone arriving at a work meeting dressed completely in camouflage garments with a combat hat might create an uncomfortable impression and struggle to be taken seriously. Camouflaged clothing can be purchased from military surplus shops and also outdoor sports shops, but once again, there is a thriving vintage market in authentic fatigues, barely worn or second-hand.

The second style of men’s military fashion is the ceremonial formal wear. Soldiers and naval officers have many ceremonial tasks to perform, and the classic jackets with polished accessories stand up to the most careful inspection by the fashion superiors. Throughout time, formal military wear has evolved through some quite glamorous phases, with frogging, shoulder decorations, brass and silver buttons and grand, yet impractical, headgear all evident. Check the Beatles on Sergeant Pepper’s album cover and you’ll see a campy style that peaked during the Napoleons era. Even now though, Chris Martin and Coldplay often dress up their oddly grittier interpretations.

Of course, military clothing worn in the wrong situation or setting can either look out of place or be a surefire way of making a statement. Fashion inspiration from the armed services of all three types can be a great source of ideas and there’s a huge array of items and garments to choose from.

Author Bio: Tracey Morgan created this article for Voodoo E-Commerce on behalf of Rokit, suppliers of vintage men’s military clothing.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: vintage clothing, military