The Life archive continues to yield cool shit, like every U.S. military kit worn in 1941. This is the kind of stuff that I want to print out and put in a wooden box and save forever. Safe to say I love it. Since these photos were taken in the run-up to the U.S. involvement in the conflict, it would be interesting to see how the uniforms changed by the time they got to 1945, especially the cavalry uniforms. Wouldn’t think they saw much action in the the war, especially the Pacific theater.
More LIFE posts here.
wow, this is incredible- i could look at uniforms all day. thanks for posting.
Those are great images. And one of them solves a mystery should you ever be confused about the Army expression, “He doesn’t know shit from shinola.”
Popular with my father, I asked him when I was a kid, “What’s shinola?” “Boot polish.” he replied. This made no sense to me since boots were black and who the hell had black poop. But in WWII , when this became a popular expression, boots were the brown in the photo. A beautiful shade of brown that looks like…Well, you get the picture.
I love how narrow the lasts are on those boots and shoes… how come it’s so hard to find anything remotely resembling those shoes for a reasonable price these days?
Yet another case of “they don’t make ’em like they used to…”
I remember that expression as well. And– “shit on a shingle”. As guys, I think part of it is that we just like an excuse to say the word shit.
They look great. No wonder that in certain parts of the UK there are people in their mid 60’s whose real dads are guys just like these !
Crazy… we still some of those items in the Army. The mess blue uniform with the cape is still worn exactly like that today, except we wear rank on the sleeves in place of the branch insignia.
Have you ever been to Kaufman’s Army Navy on 42nd Street? The place is kind of a mess, but if you come in with a clear piece of research (i.e. every one of these beautiful photos), the guy there can track down just about anything in a couple of weeks.
Calvary is where Christ was crucified, but cavalry are the men on horses.
Beautiful uniforms, though. The army made a strategic victory but a sartorial loss when they replaced OD green with camouflage.
Thanks for the correction. That’s what I get for blogging while sober.
ACL
Oooh, I love you for this. Also love thinking of the guy who laid the socks out just so for the perfect shot.
Life seemed to harbor some grudge against the Navy. The sailor suit is a little trickier to wear with panache than some of the gaudier outfits, but there was no need to stuff the nerdiest seaman available into ill-fitting dress whites.
rad! LIFE archive is amazing.
The accessories are amazing! There’s always been a fascination with uniforms, the most obvious being epaulettes. Though it never occurred to me until now – did the belt-over-jacket trend in womenswear a few years ago come to fruition from uniforms?
Check out http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/
“BIGGEST selection of new-made WWII era American uniforms and equipment in the world BAR NONE! Our selection includes uniforms from the US Navy, US Army, US Army Air Force, and US Marine Corps. Our selection includes complete uniforms from headgear to footwear. Our products are UNMATCHED BY ANYONE for authenticity and durability. In almost every case, ounce for ounce, the fabrics we use in our garments out-weigh the competition’s fabrics, without sacrificing authenticity, thus making our products a better value for your money.
Our company was founded in 1992. We specialize in just U.S. WWII military uniforms and equipment. This means we can dedicate all our resources to reproducing only the finest garments and accessories in their class. Our selection is so extensive that we can completely outfit a U.S. Officer or Enlisted soldier from head to toe in different fabrics, mounted or dismounted. “We are the WWII U.S. quartermaster.” We offer the biggest selection of new-made WWII era U.S. military uniforms and equipment in the world.”