Military-inspired menswear is having a moment. Whereas rocking an M-65 jacket in peacetime was once the mark of a dangerous outsider (think Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver) or a groovy peacenik (think John Lennon in real life), nowadays it’s more likely to simply indicate a man who’s put thought into how he gets dressed.
There are a few reasons for this upswing. The aesthetic appears to have benefited greatly from the dovetailing trends of streetwear’s general demise and the ongoing casualization of men’s wardrobes, and, combined with the definite element of history and heritage — without the “Why are you so dressed up?” baggage that comes with prep and tailoring — it’s easy to explain the recent increased interest in military-inspired pieces.
That’s not to say that military style is foolproof. It certainly carries baggage of its own, not least the dreaded stolen valor accusation. (To avoid this, try not to wear military kit head-to-toe, and avoid any patches or indicators tying it to a real-life unit. After all, this is your outfit, not a uniform!) To wage a successful style campaign in the summer months ahead, consider hewing to the simple stratagems below.
Take to the Field Jacket
Likely the best-known piece derived from modern military uniforms, the field jacket category is modeled after the series of light outerwear pieces issued by the U.S. Army, originating with the M1941 field jacket in 1941. Among its many variations in the decades (and conflicts) that followed is the M-65, marked by four straight cargo pockets, and the so-called “jungle jacket” that was issued in four permutations during the Vietnam War and can be identified by its slanted chest pockets.
“The field jacket is like the jeans of military uniforms,” says Charles MacFarlane, a writer and researcher focused on military uniforms and publisher of the Substack Combat Threads. “You can say ‘Oh, there’s a pair of jeans,’ but there are millions of different design details, from cuts to rise, that allow every brand to have their own pair of jeans, but different. A field jacket is a very easy canvas to work over and create your own.”
Whatever its details, it functions well today as a lightweight layer replacement, providing the extra visual interest of a third piece without jacking up the formality levels. From a purely practical standpoint, it’s hard to argue with the utility of four spacious pockets for holding wallets, keys, stain sticks and whatever other EDC makes up your daily kit.
In terms of styling, take a page from the Ralph Lauren playbook and look to combine clothing that doesn’t check the same box. For instance, pairing the style with a breezy linen drawstring trouser, or a preppy striped button-down. Depending on sizing — oversized is typically the move here, in keeping with its heritage — field jackets can be worn as genuine outerwear above sweaters or light jackets.
Go for the Gurkha
Like the field jacket, the Gurkha also traces its origins back to World War II, where it was worn by British soldiers serving in North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia — the name itself is derived from an elite unit recruited from Nepal. In these hotter climes, the British found themselves rapidly losing weight, a problem they addressed by adding adjustable straps — most notably, a buckled, side-cinch belted waist.
Wearers today may not have that same problem, but the Byzantine buckle closures — whether positioned at the center of the waist or at the sides — add more visual interest than a standard sports short, especially when coupled with other standard features like a double-pleated front. (It also doesn’t hurt that its traditional cut happens to sync with the current trends.)
“It’s short and incredibly wide, which has been in recently, that shorter, wider silhouette,” MacFarlane says.
Color Outside the Lines
Outside of camo print — a whole other story — military-inspired clothing predominantly comes in varying shades of two related colors: khaki and green. But there’s no set decree saying that has to be the case when worn by civilians.
Changing the tones to something less expected shifts the very identity of the clothing. For instance, a field jacket in navy is suddenly coded much more like a blazer, even if it remains more casual and comparatively care-free. Or pull on a pair of fatigue pants in off-white, and they’ll suddenly feel more like a European vacation and less like the European Theater.
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