Military fashion finds its way onto the streets
I spent the weekend in Ellicott City, Md. with camouflage face paint on, fording rivers, sneaking through forests and consuming the traditional outdoorsman beverages. My friends were with me as well, but they had made the smart decision of taking a trip to the Army Surplus store before the weekend adventure. They came back with camouflage pants, jackets, hats and one very useful camouflage backpack. Needless to say, I felt a little underdressed in my sweatpants and sweater.
Drinking our beverages while blending in with the dark forest, I came to think about how useful and chic some of my friends' selections were. One friend bought a vintage army jacket in forest green with the former owner's name, Paladino, still sewn onto it. The friend was jokingly referred to as Paladino for the rest of the weekend, but the jacket was still very fashionable. It was cut slim and had that worn-in, authentic look to it that people pay large sums of money for, but it was an inexpensive purchase.
Another friend managed to pick up a very sleek backpack. Not only was it extremely useful and efficient at camouflaging the owner but we discovered that it could also hold skis, much to the content of the avid skier who bought it.
These things are essentially the factors that made military and wilderness-themed clothing such a popular hit several years ago and today too. The utilitarian motif is masculine, chic, comfortable and useful. The London clothing empire, Burberry, basically created its fame and fortune from it, starting first with the trench coat designed for British army officers.
Recently, acclaimed Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto's collaboration clothing line with Adidas, Y-3, released its Fall 2009 showcase. The clothing, meant to be a sportswear collaboration, was heavily based on military themes. Dark navy and black officer's coats emblazoned with three gold army stripes (think Adidas logo) paired with baggy cargo pants and heavy leather lace-up boots were the main emphasis of the show. Yamamoto experimented with the stripes, moving them around the garments on shoulders, biceps, hats, pants and lapels. He also showcased some classic bomber jackets, the ones you'd see Air Force pilots wearing 50 years ago.
Drinking our beverages while blending in with the dark forest, I came to think about how useful and chic some of my friends' selections were. One friend bought a vintage army jacket in forest green with the former owner's name, Paladino, still sewn onto it. The friend was jokingly referred to as Paladino for the rest of the weekend, but the jacket was still very fashionable. It was cut slim and had that worn-in, authentic look to it that people pay large sums of money for, but it was an inexpensive purchase.
Another friend managed to pick up a very sleek backpack. Not only was it extremely useful and efficient at camouflaging the owner but we discovered that it could also hold skis, much to the content of the avid skier who bought it.
These things are essentially the factors that made military and wilderness-themed clothing such a popular hit several years ago and today too. The utilitarian motif is masculine, chic, comfortable and useful. The London clothing empire, Burberry, basically created its fame and fortune from it, starting first with the trench coat designed for British army officers.
Recently, acclaimed Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto's collaboration clothing line with Adidas, Y-3, released its Fall 2009 showcase. The clothing, meant to be a sportswear collaboration, was heavily based on military themes. Dark navy and black officer's coats emblazoned with three gold army stripes (think Adidas logo) paired with baggy cargo pants and heavy leather lace-up boots were the main emphasis of the show. Yamamoto experimented with the stripes, moving them around the garments on shoulders, biceps, hats, pants and lapels. He also showcased some classic bomber jackets, the ones you'd see Air Force pilots wearing 50 years ago.
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