The Best Military Vintage Clothing Sources

Vintage clothing is a great fashion strategy. Instead of trying to keep up with the latest and greatest fads, wearers of vintage clothing don't have to worry about this. Also, fashion trends tend to cycle in an out rather quickly. What's cool today probably won't be cool in two years, if you're trying to keep up with the latest fads. But vintage clothing, by contrast, doesn't attempt to be cool or hip. Instead, vintage clothing is often quietly understated and classic, and can't go out of style because it's been a well-known thing for decades.

One type of vintage clothing that is practical and timeless is military vintage. This includes coats, pants and other items that were worn by the military of various countries several decades ago. The most basic form of vintage military clothing is army surplus clothes. These are used, but often still serviceable uniforms. Part of the charm of military surplus vintage is the character that wear gives them. Often these coats and jackets will have patches, or stitching were patches used to be, and may also have wear from crawling through enemy lines. In extreme cases, they might even have bullet holes. While this type of wear might seem unsightly to some people, others consider it to be added character, something that adds to the authenticity of the piece.

However, for some people, the idea of wearing used, worn military uniforms is a bit too extreme. For them, the resemblance of military clothing is enough - there is no need to actually wear clothing that looks like it has been through a war. The good news is that many military uniforms were made in excess of what the military needed for their troops. In many cases, these articles of clothing simply sit in a warehouse and would otherwise be unused. Often, they are completely new, and have never been worn. These are perfect for people who want the military look, but who do not want used clothing.

These old, but new condition uniforms are not necessarily American. Sometimes a European look is good, since it is not immediately recognizable as a military uniform piece. This is good for people who want to stay classy, but don't want to be immediately pegged as a soldier, sailor or airman. The vintage look contributes to this as well.

Uniforms of the past several decades looked different from modern uniforms for several reasons. Some of these reasons are practical. Modern combat boots have a matte finish that does not need to be polished. This saves troops time on the battlefield, and means that older boots provide a dressier look. Modern camouflage patterns are different from older BDUs, both because of the need to provide cover in urban areas vs. rural engagements, and because of the tendency for modern wars to take place in desert areas vs. woodland.

By Kelly C. Isaacson

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