Army Jackets, Fashion and Function Combined
Military clothing styles were very different a few hundred years back. Formality often reigned over practical needs and the fabrics available left troops battling certain elements which today would not be a factor. Garments also required a lot more care and attention and many hours were spent tending to clothing in peacetime, hours that could have been used training for the challenges of war. The colourful and shiny garments of the parade ground certainly found their way onto the battle ground in the past, if only to ensure authority was recognised more easily, but this carried risks that must have cost the lives of many. Bright red jackets may have help the commanders look the part, but they also helped the enemy identify their targets.
Camouflage became the norm, everywhere almost, whether on the plains of Europe, the Arctic Circle, deserts and jungles too. Up in the mountains of Norway during the Second World War, this would have meant disappearing in snow. In the desert it was sand-coloured, and in the jungle it was the leafy, green and brown broken pattern, the traditional "camo" design we might expect. Technology was starting to dominate military clothing in the Gulf war of the early nineties, hence the desert, night and camouflage patterns that were created to render enemy night-vision goggles less effective.
As well as design, the economies of making many thousands of garments to a budget, often to very tight timescales if conflict is imminent or even in progress, brought its own challenges. Sometimes production out-stripped demand or even over-delivered if conflicts ended quickly and this led to the birth of the military surplus store. These stores attract all kinds of customers including those who just want to relive dressing in army gear as well as those who enjoy outdoor activities such as walkers, and of course those looking for a bargain. Military clothing is usually waterproof and durable, so suits a number of practical situations.