Jacket Style Spotlight: Field Jacket
- Eric Langlois
- Nov 1, 2024
- 5 min read
So I reached out to one of my friends who's also a client, big shout out to Ajay, and I showed him my garment bag while I was waiting at the gate and we both remarked how it was an old school piece of luggage. But is it?
Look at the guy sitting across from me. He has one more modern, more streamlined. If you rock suits and if you rock sport jackets, I don't want them bunched up in a roller. That doesn't make sense. If it was a roller, it has to be a suitor. But that's a bigger piece of luggage. If we're just talking about a carry on, I'm still down with my garment bag. As the repair guys noted, it's in excellent condition because oftentimes if you take good care of your stuff without structural damages, it'll take good care of you.
PRO TIP: Sometimes classic is the way to go. I love my garment bag. You should cop one too.
A SINGULAR TAKE A FASHION
Jacket Style Spotlight: Field Jacket
By Eric Langlois
In the 1982 action film First Blood, John Rambo is accosted by a rural sheriff for wearing an army field jacket with an American flag on the shoulder. In the context in which the film was made, Rambo’s long hair juxtaposed with his military jacket conveys an anti-war image that sets off the conservative sheriff and results in a manhunt and a pitched battle through the town of Hope, Washington. To a modern viewer this point of conflict can be difficult to parse (leaving aside the textual irony of Rambo’s status as a decorated soldier) as the field jacket that sets off the film’s action is such a common design today that it’s hard to imagine it upsetting anyone.
Today the field jacket has transcended its military background across three major wars, to become a style icon that exemplifies how clothing’s form can transcend its practical function.
The field jacket originated just before the United States entered the Second World War, with the introduction of uniform systems which were designed for layering to provide insulation and weather resistance in as many environments as possible. Originally this would be achieved with a waist-length, cotton twill jacket which would provide the weatherproof shell over a pile liner, wool shirt, and how every many sweaters a soldier could scrounge. Complaints about the short length of the jacket and lack of accessible pockets led to this first attempt, the Model 1941 pattern uniform, being replaced with the first of the iconic field jackets: the M-43.
Issued starting in 1943 and achieving wide use by late 1944, the M-43 field jacket created the basic field jacket design which remains in use with minor alterations more than 80 years later. Based on complaints about the previous pattern, the M-43 comes down to the upper thigh, with two breast pockets and two front hip pockets. Made to be layered over a liner and other insulating garments, the M-43 has a roomy fit, but includes a drawstring at the waist to pull in the body for a slightly more tailored look. The jacket buttons closed with a lapel-style collar that makes it appear a bit more dressy than its later descendants.
The next major version of the US military field jacket arrived in 1951. The M-51 was in service during and after the Korean War, causing it to appear in the tv-series M*A*S*H as well as (anachronistically) in the WW2-set action film Force 10 From Navarone. Similar in design to the M-43, the M-51 jacket differs from its predecessor chiefly by its closure, zipping closed with snaps to hold down the storm flap. The collar was changed to a shirt-style point collar which has a relatively crisp line, while also being able to button across the wearer’s throat in bad weather. A less visible alteration came in the liner system, going from a separate liner garment in the M-43 to a button-in pile liner which could be worn as part of the jacket itself.
The Model 1965 jacket replaced the M-51 as the United States was stepping up its involvement in the Vietnam War, and was quickly cemented as the iconic field jacket. The M-65 is easily distinguishable due to its rounded stand collar, with a visible zipper running around behind the wearer’s neck. While the M-43 and M-51 were designed with fully removable hoods, the M-65’s hood packs away behind this collar zipper. The M-65 also has Velcro tabs in various locations to seal up the collar and sleeves against the elements, making it the most overtly casual of the three field jackets.
The M-65 pattern field jacket’s ubiquity in the Vietnam War era is what led to its status a counter-culture icon. Anti-war activists adopted military clothing as an ironic indication of their disillusionment with the Vietnam conflict, while civil rights activists like the Black Panthers wore army surplus as a symbol of their uniformity of purpose and willingness to engage in militant action. At the same time, it remained a symbol of military prowess, worn by dangerous veteran characters like Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver and Rambo in First Blood.
Over time, the political connotations of the field jacket were diluted by its sheer availability, as well as the adoption of activist aesthetics into depoliticized fashion circles in the trend known as “radical chic.” With the massive cultural impact of field jackets from the 1960s onward, it’s not surprising that fashion brands would turn out their own version to meet the resulting market demand. Outdoor clothing companies, mall brands, and high-end designer and menswear companies have all made their own versions of issue field jackets, as well as altering the venerable design to include other influences or details.
Vintage M-43 and M-51 jackets are available, although increasingly expensive as stocks are depleted. Reproduction companies like At the Front or Bronson Mfg. are turning out accurate replicas, while menswear companies like Drakes have seized on the classic details of these jackets and created their own versions to sell alongside their traditional tailoring. The M-65 is much more widely available, with relatively inexpensive surplus examples in the standard olive drab, digital camouflages, and sharp foreign patterns like the Greek brushstroke camo.
Field jackets are a natural accompaniment to casual clothing like sweatshirts and jeans, but the layering-focused design leaves wearers with plenty of room to incorporate other clothing. With the fashionable incorporation of workwear with tailoring, it’s more and more common to see field jackets worn over sport coats or suits, and the roomy cut makes it a practical as well as stylish move. The length that soldiers asked for back in 1942 means that a field jacket will fully cover your sport coat, protecting it from the rain and maintaining a neat silhouette for your outfit.
Eric Langlois is a writer, menswear professional, and history enthusiast based on the North Shore of Massachusetts.
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