Rock Military Style
Hello from Michael (Copenhagen - ‘rock military style’). This is my first attempt at blogging, but I’m on my way (I think….) We’ve almost completed our fashion week over here in Copenhagen, but I was too busy teaching and preparing an article on ‘Guitar Hussar’ Jimi Hendrix (deadline Febr. 28, The Journal of Design History) to follow events. Cecilie Nielsen, my co-author of a just published article (in a Norwegian journal of fashion and culture: Personae) on Anglo-American transatlantic rock military styled ‘wars’ (subjects: Strokes, Libertines & Coldplay) and an accomplished blogger (see: FANCIES http://www.fancies.dk/; sorry, it’s in Danish but lots of good fashion pics) has done some blogging of the Copenhagen fashion week - in English - for Wunderbuzz (see: http://wunderbuzz.co.uk/catwalks/ivana-helsinki-aw10/). And speaking of fashion-design, I was blown away by the stuff I saw November last in Reykjavik, Iceland. They’ver got some hysterically sublime REALLY GOOD designers! Björk is just at the top of the iceburg…
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Congrats on your blogger-debut! And thanks for the reference!!
Perhaps one day you can explain (or speculate about?) why some women are intrigued by military-inspired fashion–for themselves. I have a collection of Ralph Lauren and J. Peterman military-styled jackets, and I won’t give them up, whether they are in (current) or out. I like the cut, color, and buttons…but there must be more involved in this fascination.
Jacque Lynn Foltyn
I have so got to pair this project with our Heavy Metal project. They had some fantastic papers last year on areas which would overlap nicely with this.
Rock on Rob, great idea!
Jacque Lynn Foltyn
Good thinking, Rob. Heavy Metal is an interesting topic for at least a couple of reasons; 1) they do use some military parphernalia - notably Nazi stuff. Lemmy of the British heavy metal group Motörhead has the following great quote: “The bad guys always dress best, The Confederates, Napoleon, Hitler… I mean, the British army wore awful stuff. Shapeless, baggy old shorts, big flat caps. The Germans had the black and silver SS uniform. There’s no contest, really.” (See: “Look like a rock star guaranteed!”, NME 29 March 2003, p. 38); 2) Metal are into camouflage aka DPM/Disruptive Pattern Material just like the Rappers and Hip Hoppers, though for very different reasons (militant political stance, urban ‘jungle’ combat for the former, darker side, including war, viz. “Strormtroopers of Death” for the latter). The rock military style - also gendered! - relationship between Metal, Goth and Punk is a study in itself…
My husband and I and all three of our sons have military style jackets in their wardrobes. The jackets are all very different in the materials they are made out of and in their design. Some of the jackets are made out of leather (bomber jacket), two have Army jackets that are from the Vietnam War and also Army World War I Jackets. In addition, they have many military style button down shirts with epaulets on the shoulders. The style is interesting, masculine and flattering. Who doesn’t like broad shoulders on a man and on women the style provides the appearance of a smaller waistline.
One of the growth ‘niche’ industries in the UK is the ‘Army Surplus’ outlets which do a fantastic trade. They generally sell military uniforms and clothing from across the world, both historical and contemporary, and the uptake from the general consumer market has been very strong. Military style ‘accessories’ are also in popular demand - though I suspect this has always there - particularly, linking back to my previous post, in some quarters of music ‘fashion’. At the turn of the 80’s for example, the demand for bullet belts amongst the heavy metal crew was immense (and yes, I did have one!) along with other military ‘parts’ which were customised as part of the denim ‘uniform’. The style has changed now, even among those in the rock scene, but the demand is certainly still there.