Street Style Trends: Military Uniform

As you might have seen in my ‘Top fashion books for fashion students to read’ post, I recommended a book called ‘100 ideas that changed street style’ by John Sims. While reading this fashion book, I came across a section devoted to the street style of military uniform, which is a certain trend that embraces a mixture of cultural and historical references within fashion clothing and also a trend that has appealed to me when it comes to my fashion choices and how I style myself.

Once known as a fashion garment purely designed for the purpose of clothing the armed forces during the war for practicality and to tackily camouflage servicemen from the enemy, military uniform has since, been a style that is known to be preppy, hipster and arguably, grunge. During the middle of the 20th century this style was something arguably seen as shocking as skinheads, punks and the Black Panthers (a revolutionary Black Nationalist organization who fought against African American racism) wore the trend to rebel against their expected identities in society and therefore, formed sub cultures that wore the trend.



The skinhead subculture was known to wear heavy military boots and khaki bomber jackets to signify their subculture.

In my opinion, this is a style that communicates power and dominance whilst also acting as one that adds an essence of androgyny into your everyday look due to the specific tailoring and silhouettes of garments that were previously designed to fit a man. Although this vintage style is a associated with men’s fashion due to the preconceptions of the past two centuries, it is now a trend that we are seeing many more women from all backgrounds take on board for casual wear causing it to arguably be a genderless trend in the 21st century society. Obviously, the military uniform for many servicemen and women today still resembles this significant khaki attire. However, the military uniform is clearly becoming even more of a fashion statement around the world as time goes on. Many designers have also included the utility trend within their luxurious collections such as Balmain and Alexander McQueen. However, as you can see below, these leading designer brands have added their own rebellious and contemporary twist within the detail, structure and silhouette of the army themed garments to revive the trend and give it a new urban living identity to signify a youthful ‘street culture’.



Alexander McQueen Fall 2012







Balmain Fall 2014

Garments such as aviator sunglasses, duffle coats, army shirts, parkas, army lace up boots, camouflage trousers and berets are all items of clothing that have been exploited by the fashion industry to sell on as timeless fashion must haves.





While on the subject on street style trends, these individuals who take on this specific style are part of a style tribe of people who share the same cultural attitudes and similar values with others who dress the same. This style tribe (sub culture) allows these individuals to shape their identity and gain a sense of belonging within a culture if they once felt they were in a state of anomie against the rest of society filled with people who followed a traditional conformed culture. Rotterdam based photographers Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek even put a study together called 'Exactitudes' to research style tribes around the world and to document individual's chosen style. The project consisted of the pair interviewing a hand full of people who identified themselves with a certain style tribe e.g. geeks, yupster boys or pin up girls, then they photographed them all in the same standing position and pose to observe the similarities in terms of style, shape of clothing, colours and hairstyle.

However, as time goes on some people are starting to argue whether street style trends even exist nowadays. Due to the use of social media in this modern day technology obsessed society, trends can be birthed then killed over night causing many of us to wonder what is even in style or not.

“Social media dictates trends today. The trend emerges overnight and disappears almost as quickly.”-said Marc Worth. (founder of WGSN)

“Social media has absolutely, totally changed the trends landscape,” said Ruth Chapple, head of content at Stylus Fashion.

Business of Fashion. 2015. Do Fashion Trends Still Exist?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/fashion-trends-still-exist. [Accessed 31 December 15].

My own styling of the military trend:

This shirt I am wearing is actually vintage and was purchased in Camden Market in an Army and Navy thrift store filled with many old khaki and camouflage garments. My boots however, were purchased from Top shop last year demonstrating that it isn't just luxurious brands that are taking on this vintage militaristic trend but the high street are also offering their own spin on it to.