Owning the Vintage Military Look

Surplus military clothing has always been a go-to option for many people within the last century; whether for rugged outdoor activities or ironic anti-war protesting, military clothing was there.  That's because surplus is abundant, it tends to be fairly well-made, and it's cheap.

Putting modern surplus to use is easy, but finding and using vintage military pieces the right way to create the kind of look you want is difficult.  You first must decide what kind of look you're going for.  Stylish and mature?  Rugged and carefree?  Dark and mysterious?

Depending upon which you decide, there is a plethora of military surplus from which to choose.  M65 jackets, trench coats, various military caps, even different styles of camouflage can work.  Choosing the right pieces and colors/patterns will aid you in creating your look.  Just be wary of using too much camouflage or camo that is too loud or just doesn't work.  

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The stylish, old-world aristocratic look in the photo above was put together using a WW2-era U.S. Marine Corp. jacket combined with vintage civilian pieces.  This shows us that utilizing one or perhaps even two military pieces with civilian pieces is key.  If we take multiple military pieces and put them together we'll look like we're trying too hard or, worse yet, we'll look like we just came out of combat.  Simplicity and moderation are the keys to make the vintage military look work well.  Too much military and you look like a soldier, too little and it won't be unique.


Below is a pretty poor quality 'selfie' of myself several months ago while it was still cool outside.  I'm wearing a vintage newsboy cap, an unissued M43 combat jacket, a rare original WW2 paratrooper's scarf made of camouflage parachute material, and, unseen, a pair of dress trousers (look at that ugly mug).

I've combined two vintage military pieces with other rather manly accoutrements to create what I believe to be a rugged yet stylish and maybe even 'elegant' look.  Something that stands out in the crowd, is pleasing to the eye, but still looks tough while remaining pretty casual.  It's something you'd wear for a stroll in the country or to see a man about a dog.

A favorite style of jacket of mine is the old M42 paratrooper jacket.  With it's large, bellowed saddle pockets, belted waist, angled chest pockets, and gusseted back not only looks great but speaks of utilitarianism.  It's a great look that could, if desired, be paired with either jeans or trousers for a casual look.

The M42 brings to mind the safari jackets of old or even the famous Belstaff racing jacket.

Heck, there's even a reproduction M42 available in modern Multicam camouflage.  I actually kind of like it.

There's all sorts of vintage military pieces that you can use to create your own, unique military inspired look.  Experiment with what you can find to see what works and what doesn't.  Don't just wear the woodland camouflage pants like everyone else, try something new and unusual, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!  The choices are limitless.

An Intro to Overcoats

This is a topic I've been meaning to discuss for some time now.  It's fitting that I post this piece on the day the Midwest is receiving not just a winter storm but a blizzard.

Perfect timing.

Overcoats.  What does that word do to you?  What pops into your mind when you first hear it?  Do you picture an overcoat as being heavy, bulky, stiff and itchy or soft, warm, sleek and comfortable?

The category that is represented by the word 'overcoat' is vast and full of many different styles of coats.  So whether you pictured the big, bulky overcoat or the stylish, sleek coat your idea was probably correct, if limited.

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Comparison: the overcoat of the 1940s and a 'modern' one of the late 1950s.

The overcoat is an old garment with one simple goal in mind: keep the wearer warm.  Now, that doesn't mean it can't be jazzed up a bit to look stylish, just that the main goal is warmth and that style is secondary.  If it succeeds at the latter but fails at the former, well, it makes a poor coat of any kind.  The overcoat has its roots in the military with the Greatcoat, hence its utilitarian purpose.  But the overcoat would not have survived so long had it not grown to be stylish.  From the dull military garment made of rough, thick wool with brass buttons to the stylish and gentlemanly garment of the 1930s, the overcoat has gone through many different rebirths.  

Yesteryear the overcoat was a staple of the wardrobe.  It provided, obviously, warmth on a cold day and most often looked quite snappy.  There were many different and unique styles of overcoats back then, especially during the Golden Era.  The late 1920s to the early 1940s was the apogee of overcoat design.  The materials, construction, styles, price, and availability of overcoats were all outstanding.  Even department stores like J.C. Penney's and Younkers carried interesting and well constructed overcoats back then.  The overcoat was a necessity, and a stylish one at that.  Every man had one, whether he was a wealthy businessman or politician right down to the homeless man on the street.

No more.

The overcoat of today is not only rare to see in its natural habitat (being worn), it's also boring, rather poorly made, and usually very high priced for what you get.  Maybe that's why so few men wear them.  When was the last time you saw a modern overcoat with a belted back?  A loud yet attractive plaid fabric pattern?  Pleating and an impeccable fit?  Not today unless you spend $600+ for a made-to-measure or bespoke overcoat.  But not many of us can afford something like that.

Yawn.  Wake me when it at least grows some peaked lapels.

In the next few posts of this series we'll take an in-depth look at different styles and examples of vintage overcoats and see just what the overcoat was really meant to be: not only warm but also classically stylish.

WIW: We Few, We Happy Few...

And after four weeks being absent I am back.  A lot happened in that time: I got married, we went on the honeymoon, we got our home into order, and we went back to work.  And while that last point isn't our favorite, it's good to be back in the swing of things again.  We are pretty worn out, though.


I'll be making a series of posts showing different parts of the wedding and festivities but those will be coming a little later.

This is just a regular 'What I Wore' post.

You might remember the old 1930s Apparel Arts image showing how a safari or similar jacket can be worn in a casual manner:

I really like that image.  It portrays a stylish yet casual and laid back fellow enjoying a puff on a boat, something I'm sure many of us (including myself) wish we could be doing right about now.

What really makes his kit is the ascot, in my opinion, though I'm sure he would look just as dapper without it.

Now, I have a true-blue safari jacket that I've worn in the same manner as the gent above (more about that in the wedding posts), but I decided to put one of my old WW2 jackets to work in a similar manner.

It's an old U.S. Navy cotton twill warm weather dress jacket.  And while it is very similar to the regulation warm weather jacket, I believe it to be specially made.

The box pockets on the skirt have definite British influence and are different from the ordinary patch pockets on regulation jackets.  I really like the scalloped pocket flaps and the full belt that goes all the way around the jacket waist.

When I purchased it (along with its trousers, which are way too short for me) it lacked all but one of the buttons, which are removable.  I picked up some military-looking brass buttons that are very similar to the originals and attached them to the jacket.




So, with the jacket ready I paired it with some Ralph Lauren Polo trousers, GAP socks, vintage 1950s shoes, and a vintage ascot to create the kit below.

The arms are just a tad short but due to the construction of the jacket I'm unable to do anything about that.

I like this look, though it is a bit different than the original 'safari' interpretation of the Apparel Arts image above.  It is definitely a bit eccentric, especially in this day and age in 'fly-over-country'.  But nowadays when most people put very little to no effort in their dress, my thinking is that "we few, we happy few, we band of brothers" that do put in the effort just have to make up for everyone else's lack of it.

If that makes me eccentric then so be it.  Anyways, a little eccentricity is healthy in a man.

Forget Atomic Fleck: Meet the Nuclear Jacket

This is a very cool item, though it doesn't fall within our usual time period.

While searching a local shop I glanced over and noticed the below jacket. Now, it's obviously a modern (from the 1990s) military cold weather jacket of some sort so it didn't really grab my attention and I nearly walked by it. However I noticed a name with rank and a vessel name and I became intrigued. Out came the Android and voilà: within seconds I had amazing results.

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This jacket belonged to Larry Davis, the first captain of the USS Connecticut, a U.S. Navy fast-attack 'Seawolf' class nuclear submarine. Sweet!

The Seawolf class of subs was meant to succeed the older and larger 'Los Angeles' class submarines. Below is the USS Connecticut:




Capt. Larry Davis commanded the Connecticut from 1996 to 1999. He was captain of the vessel during its successful sea trials.

Though Davis was not the captain at the time, in 2003 the Connecticut surfaced through the ice in the Arctic and its vertical fin was 'attacked' by a polar bear, which gnawed on it for a while before 'disengaging'.



The back adds some more info.
The '761' stands for the USS Springfield (a Los Angeles class sub) so it looks like Davis (or at least his jacket) may have served on that vessel as a LTJG before eventually being given the Connecticut.


Here are some more photos of the USS Connecticut.

While the jacket fits me well it is fairly thick, as stiff as a board, and uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. Even so, it will proudly remain a permanant part of my collection.

A find like this is rare. How often do we get a chance to view a jacket used on a nuclear submarine by the captain, let alone own one?

What I Wore Sunday

Click to enlarge (don't mind the wrinkles, modern light-weight fabrics can't take what vintage fabrics can).

Really old U.S. military buttons turned into cufflinks a while ago. These are old.

How It Started

I've been asked how this interest in vintage clothing began. But it is not just an interest in vintage clothing, it is an interest in vintage everything. Clothing is, surprisingly, just the easiest and most visible part of the vintage interest.

I first started out with the military aspect of the Golden Era. World War Two was (and still is) one of my main points of interest. My first serious collection was collectables of the Second World War, mainly of the United States though I have also ventured into other nations, namely Germany and Japan. I have also ventured into other time periods, all the way from the American Civil War up to the Vietnam War.

The first piece of my newly born collection 6 years ago was a beat-up pair of leggings I bought on a whim while waiting for my parents to slowly work through the antique mall. When I bought them it hit me: these were a part of another person's life, part of history. I can own a piece of history.

And so the collection grew. But one cannot easily focus upon one aspect of a time period without looking at other aspects. I could not just study the military side of the Golden Era without travelling into the civilian side. Thus came my budding fascination in all things of the Golden Era, not just the World War Two aspect.

And I still have those first leggings.

So, to end this post here are some of the more prized and interesting pieces of my collection.

Class A uniform of a medical officer in the 2nd AF.

A pair of rare British-made (note the hobnails and leather soles) garrison shoes converted to M43 "double buckle" configuration by the addition of leather cuffs.

I have a bit of experience with uniforms.

A local paper announcing the invasion of Normandy. Dated June 6th, 1944.

Like I said, while most of my collection dates from World War Two era, I do have pieces from other times. This is a Union American Civil War Model 1863 holster that was made to accomidate the numerous different revolvers and revolver sizes in use by the Union Army at the time. This is a rare and incredible find ($25 at an antique mall). It's in excellent condition for it's age, the leather being soft and supple, though it has a field modification to the closure strap and the belt hanger has been torn. Even so, it is still a proud piece of American history.