American Decades
Enlisted Wear Abroad and at Home: Men and Women in Uniform
Men in Uniform.
When American men enlisted in the army in 1941 they were issued a uniform that was the final product of hard-won battle experience, design savvy, and mass production. Overriding concerns in designing military uniforms were fabric durability and the ability of the fabric to dry quickly. The most immediate effect of the war on traditional uniform design was the use of new fabrics. With soldiers in the tropics, uniforms were made of cotton, shirts were looser and more comfortable, and new fibers such as nylon helped create a barrier against insects. Pants also changed. Replacing the tight leggings used in World War I, pants narrowed around the ankle. Uniforms also came in a range of colors to help soldiers blend into the diverse areas in which they fought. Officers' shirts ranged from yellowish-drab to dark green. Nonregulation gray or forest-green shirts, trousers, and caps appeared, and the yellowish chino khaki...
[The entire page is 1242 words long]
1940's Fashion
