11 Military Inspired Fashion Staples to Own

01

Desert/Chukka Military Boots

In 1941, an employee of the Clark Shoe Company, Nathan Clark, was deployed to Burma with the British Eighth Army. While in Burma, he noticed that the soldiers preferred wearing crepe-soled suede boots while off-duty. Cairo cobblers made this hard-wearing, lightweight and durable boot soldiers.

02

Wristwatch

Of all military-inspired men's clothing items, the watch is the only one borrowed from women. Before the 20th Century, only women wore wristwatches. Society saw them as feminine accessories, worn on the wrist as ornamentation. That changed in the late 19th and 20th Century wars.

03

The Blucher Shoe

During the Napoleonic War, Prussian officer Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher Furst von Wahlstatt noticed his men struggling with their boots. He commissioned a redesign of the standard-issue combat boot. Developing a more straightforward shoe so his troops could get ready for action quicker. 

04

Aviator Sunglasses

In 1936, Bausch & Lomb developed sunglasses for pilots to protect their eyes while flying, thus the name aviator. These specially designed sunglasses gave pilots a full range of vision when battling the glaring sun and enemy fighters. 

05

Chinos

British soldiers stationed in India wore khaki (Persian for ‘dust') colored uniforms. The modern chino is a direct descendant of this uniform. The U.S. Army first used khaki uniforms in the Philippines. The soldiers dressed in uniforms made of fabric produced in China.

The t-shirt was a form of underwear in the 1800s.  The union suit was cut in half to form a long top tucked into a pair of jeans. It had buttons and was inappropriate when worn uncovered in public. Things changed with the Cooper Underwear company marketed them as ‘buttonless bachelor undershirts.'

06

T-shirt

Was worn initially as dining wear for British military personnel in India. The locals often wore sashes around their waist called kamarbands. Due to the heat, the British were keen to find a breathable dining uniform and quickly adopted the sash for their dining wear waist covering instead of a vest.

07

The Cummerbund 

Eisenhower Jacket Field Jacket  Bomber or Flight Jacket Duffle Coat Pea Coat  Trench Coat  Fatigue Jacket  Parka

08

Your Coats

For over 2000 years, scarves identified rank in the military: from the Terracotta Warriors of China to modern-day desert military units. Scarves were considered staple winter garments for men during World War I. Both America and Great Britain encouraged the knitting of scarves as a patriotic chore.

09

The Scarf & Necktie

The modern suit can trace its lineage back to uniforms of the French and Russian armies in the Napoleonic era. Those uniforms consisted of an open, single-breasted blue and white coat, a white waistcoat, white breeches or trousers, and either boots or shoes for the French Army.

10

The Men's Suit

James Thomas Brudenell, the seventh Earl of Cardigan, invented the cardigan, one of the most classic style items with military heritage. He was so wealthy and stylish that he would spend £10,000 a year outfitting his regiment in swanky new uniforms.

11

The Cardigan