How to recognize nationalities through clothes?

[jerrysfriend]

Can anyone educate me about my country's uniforms? (past or present).  This is probably going to hurt again.

Has anyone responded? My own impression of the current USA uniforms:
Summer: At least 40 pounds overweight; baseball cap worn backwards; t-shirt (often with something obscene written thereon) or a tank-top dispaying hairy underarms; tan shorts or cargo shorts with cell-phone attached and dispaying hairy, scrawny legs; flip-flops on bare, hairy, ugly feet with unspeakable toenails.
Winter: At least 40 pounds overweight; baseball cap worn backwards; sweatshirt (often with something obscene written thereon); torn jeans or tan cargo pants with cell-phone attached; dirty sneakers.

 

[globetrotter]

VB,

if you think that the US militaries uniforms are sloppy - you haven't seen that many israelis in uniform. I remember once getting cought by the military police getting off a bus, when I was a cadet at officers school (after having served as a Platoon Sargent, and strangly enough shortly before serving again as a Platoon Sargent) -

unshined boots, pants not tucked in no regulation elastic in the ankles, wearing a field duty rain jacket over my dress pants and tunic, beret not on head, stuck in the folded over stock of my assult rifle, various pins (regimental, rank, wings) stuck to the inside of my pocket face in, unshaven and with an almost empty bottle of wild turkey in my tunic pocket.


although I was just getting back from having celebrated my best friends getting engaged, that only really accounted for the wiskey bottle. the rest was more or less standard.

 

[globetrotter]

US (business) sack suit, white or light blue shirt, slip on shoes with rubber sole, tie with eleborate design, simple hair/no facial hair, sports watch, large cufflinks with symbol,

Latin America (except for Chile and Andes)- lots of gold, light colored shirts in silky, possibly translucent fabric, long hair,

Chile - alot like italians (see below) but not happy looking

Andes - Dark suits blue shirts, beefy, short, very suspicious,

UK - strong chalk striped Double Breasted suits, very dark gray or blue, worn colors and cuffs, old black oxford shoes, great ties and pocket squares. very sloppy hair (long by US standards)

Portugal/Spain - big watches, rarely (but hardly ever seen on middle class anywhere else) tatoos on fingers, great hair, conservative suits and colored shirts.

France- dark blue shirts, double breasted coats with waistcoats, brown shoes, cufflinks, sloppy but cool looking

Germany - lots of 3 piece suits, dark suits, ususually colored shirts, elaborate facial hair, good watches, sometimes strangly colored sports coats, good shoes, black or conservative brown.

Italy - well put together, fantastic brown shoes, patterned sports coats that you wouldn't have believed would have worked, solid ties with huge windsor knots, blue shirts. the Italians are about the only people who can pull off drapping a suit coat or over coat over their shoulders. happy, animated.

balkan - stocky, tight suit, leather trench coat, cheap black shoes with rubber sole.

Russian - fur hat, short coat, good watch and jewlery, cheaper suit and shoes.

Israeli - rubber soled shoes, designer clothes in poorly selling
colors, huge watch, either shaved head or long hair.

 

[Fabienne]

Germany - lots of 3 piece suits, dark suits, ususually colored shirts, elaborate facial hair, good watches, sometimes strangly colored sports coats, good shoes, black or conservative brown.

Their shirt colors always make me stare. I don't know how they get dressed in the morning without losing their breakfast.

 

[ViroBono]

Rabbi Mark - What a wonderful Gieves jacket. The wavy lace shows it to be Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, and the green distinction lace means it was made for (I think) an electrical engineering officer. Today only Surgeons have distinction lace - blood red for doctors and orange for dentists. Gieves is still one of the top Naval & Military tailors, though as a friend of mine has recently discovered, also about the most expensive. Globetrotter - I am unlikely to see any Israeli soldiers close up, as I have some stamps in my passport which Israel doesn't like. Mind you, they do seem to be as you describe when I have seen them on tv. Your descriptions of other nations are spot on. Fabienne - Do you mean US or French uniforms. If French, they are very distinctive, and not just because of the kepi. French mountain troops wear an oversize beret, whilst the Garde Republicaine wear Napoleonic uniform on state occasions. The French are well known for their close-fitting combat uniform, and the Legion Etrangere's are like our Paras with small, shaped berets. Incidentally, did you know that when the British were given the honour of leading the Liberation Day parade down the Champs Elysee this year, the lead horse was called 'Agincourt'?

I'm not sure what the problem is with German's shirts. I lived and worked there for several years, and was constantly surprised at the curious combinations they thought stylish.

 

[drizzt3117]

Do British army soldiers still have pith helmets as part of their tropical dress?

 

[Geronimo]

The French military uniforms were always fun, Napoleon's imperial garde with these huge bear skin hat, First WW soldier with red pants (a can't miss for the Germans). The foreign Legion kepi is as much a symbol of France as the beret.

Speaking of beret, why on earth do Americans still believe that Frenchmen wear those? Last time it was in fashion was 50 years ago except maybe in the Pays basque which is by far the least French part of the country.

Fabienne, as someone who lived in France for many years, I can tell you that the Frenchman is not the worst dress in Europe, thankfully the Germans have that title but, based on my observation, they are not too far behind. This is some of my comments:

- Unpolished and unkept shoes, usually with a sole which died when De Gaulle was in charge.
- 2 sizes too large SB blazer, way too large at the shoulder and the waist. Often blue single breasted with gaudy looking gold buttons. Sometimes a really ugly color like deep bordeaux or forest green, again with the gold buttons.
- The socks. OMG French socks are the worst, you will see these horrendous comic book characters like Tintin, or Asterix. Les "chausettes fantaisies" is a typical french male thing. They should be shot just for that one.
- Shirt collar is always a mess, they have never heard of collar stays (it is called "baleine" in French which means whale, ever seen a whale in France?)


Geronimo

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

 Had I been around in those days I could only have been on one side - Vive les aristos.

Viri Bono, your newly changed avatar suggests my favorite series of books-"The Scarlet Pimpernel". The aristos spend inordinate amounts of time on their dress yet always prevail against the inelegant revolutionaries (or against social change in general). It's interesting how we self-proclaimed American "traditionalists" want to imitate the changeless dress traditions of the British aristocracy while Sir Percy and the Duke of Windsor themselves were flamboyant and risky in their dress. I'd change my avatar to "Baroness Orczy" in keeping with this new spirit you're bringing in, but there are gender problems.

 

[Nonk]

ViroBono wrote

Nelson was an example to all true Englishmen (as was Wellington), and is celebrated annually in RN Wardrooms on Trafalgar Night, the most important function of the year. Â The room is hung with French tricolours, representing the colours struck by the French admirals when they surrendered. Â A speech is given to the Immortal Memory of Nelson. I have been to a few, and they are superb occasions

French Tricolours you say, I always thought the French flag in time of war was a white cross on a white background. Â Â Oh wait, I am wrong, that is the Italians Â

Globetrotter, you were in the Israeli Defence Forces? Much respect Sir. drizzt3117, Her Majesty's Royal Marines still wear what I would call a pith helmet in their ceremonial dress uniform ( although I could be misrepresenting it here, in the way people often refer to bearskins as busbys, which is incorrect, hats are a complicated issue.) Speaking of uniforms, do any of you that have worn them have any experience in wearing them at any civilian functions? This is probably common in the US, but until relatively recently was unheard of in the UK due to the terrorist threat. If you do get the chance, do it, I wore my mess dress to a ball the Cafe Royal in London a few years ago and despite the enormous drag factor of my face and general lack of attractiveness, I had my pick of the ladies.

 

[drizzt3117]

Something like this? http://therionarms.com/sold/ttoy122.html

 

[S_Funnell]

UK - strong chalk striped Double Breasted suits, very dark gray or blue, worn colors and cuffs, old black oxford shoes, great ties and pocket squares. very sloppy hair (long by US standards)

Although stereotypes are being quoted here, the point should be made that 'chalk striped double breasted suits' are the preserve of the upper middle class alone. Gaze upon any provincial bank clerk / insurance salesman / supermarket manager and you will see a hotchpotch of homogenized US / Euro influence: poly/wool suit, 'easycare' shirt, comfort padded shoes from Clarks (with a hint of leather somewhere) and something from Tie Rack's latest collection. Double cuffs are rare outside London. Indeed, this uniform is 'uniform' across much of Europe, a class distinction clearly demarcating the 'money' and social background of the wearer and I believe that to be as recognisable as any distinction based on nationality. It's as true of the US as it is here - give a Jerry Springer participant ten million dollars and she won't end up looking like one of the Miller sisters...

 

[Nonk]

Here are some pics of Royal Marines pith helmets- http://britains-smallwars.com/Museum/RM/rm-hat.html

 

[Fabienne]

It's interesting how we self-proclaimed American "traditionalists" want to imitate the changeless dress traditions of the British aristocracy while Sir Percy and the Duke of Windsor themselves were flamboyant and risky in their dress

Edith Wharton, in "The Age of Innocence", does a skillful and sensitive rendition of this very same theme, digging deep into the culture and etiquette of XIX century New York.

 

[Fabienne]

Fabienne - Do you mean US or French uniforms. Â The French are well known for their close-fitting combat uniform, Incidentally, did you know that when the British were given the honour of leading the Liberation Day parade down the Champs Elysee this year, the lead horse was called 'Agincourt'?

When I say "my country", I couldn't mean any country other than France, even if I became a US citizen. In the event this were to happen, did you know I'd have to give up any claims to any title of nobility? Any reason to the uniforms being close-fitting? Function or style? Agincourt: you've got to love it. Here's another example of a war that at least led to something beautiful : over 100 poems by Charles d'Orleans in English while in "sweet" captivity in England.

 

[clarinetplayer]

Here are some pics of Royal Marines pith helmets- http://britains-smallwars.com/Museum/RM/rm-hat.html

Just curious...why is it called a "pith" helmet?