# Across the world which military has the coolest looking field & dress uniforms? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627 "2006-05-13T13:43:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/1 "2006-05-13T13:43:33Z")
Just curious. Who has the coolest uniforms? ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/2 "2006-05-13T14:30:50Z")
Wow, did I get the first post? I’ll vote for the Swiss Guard Uniform. No one would dare attack Vatican City! [http://erniemarch.home.att.net/Italy\_4/pages/4114\_Rome\_Swiss\_guard\_San\_Pietro.htm](http://erniemarch.home.att.net/Italy_4/pages/4114_Rome_Swiss_guard_San_Pietro.htm) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/3 "2006-05-13T15:09:12Z")
[QUOTE=Enright3] I’ll vote for the Swiss Guard Uniform. [/QUOTE] They were my first thought also. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/4 "2006-05-13T17:02:10Z")
Interesting uniform. Looks like a performer in Cirque de Soliel. I vote for the Marines dress uniforms. I’m glad I’ve never seen a guy in one in person, because I probably would have been a bad girl. ::swoon:: ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/5 "2006-05-14T03:58:46Z")
For dress uniforms, I’m going to second **Snakescatlady**. USMC dress uniforms are quite impressive. Field uniforms, does [Master Chief](http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050124/halo2.jpg) count? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/6 "2006-05-14T04:32:22Z")
We have to remember the lessons of the dread [“Sukhomlinov Effect,”](http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,909736,00.html) of course. ---
**Author:** ![Bernard\_Marx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@Bernard\_Marx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bernard_Marx)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/7 "2006-05-14T06:46:43Z")
I think the Poms do it best. They definitely have the excessively big headwear weighed off. Didn’t someone here once put forward the theory that the more ridiculous the hat, the more ferocious the wearer? My special skill (if I may call it such) is being able to tell Foot Guards regiments apart without looking at their cap badge. It hasn’t come in useful yet but I know that, one day, it will. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/8 "2006-05-14T12:24:16Z")
[QUOTE=Bernard Marx] My special skill (if I may call it such) is being able to tell Foot Guards regiments apart without looking at their cap badge. It hasn’t come in useful yet but I know that, one day, it will. [/QUOTE] How do you do that? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/9 "2006-05-14T14:32:38Z")
The coolest looking military uniform IMHO is also one of the most seldom-seen, because its service branch does not consider it a dress uniform (to the point where it may not be worn in public), yet it is no longer practical as a working uniform. I refer to the US Naval Aviation “Working Greens.” [service hat](http://www.reiss.dk/hats/common/Hat/show.asp?ID=286&Cat=6) [blouse](http://www.bill-woodier.com/Navy%20Avn%20Greens%20WW-II.JPG) [Cmdr. David McCampbell, the Navy’s top ace, in Greens uniform](http://www.surfpac.navy.mil/mccampbell/namesake-pix.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/10 "2006-05-15T12:05:26Z")
The US Navy’s officer’s dress white uniform has had a fetish attached to it, perhaps starting with _An Officer and A Gentleman_, aknowledged in the movie _Philadelphia_ and the TV show _Friends_ Personally, having seen them both side-by-side at ceremonies in the amphibious navy, I preferred the Marine dress white to the Navy’s. It had better tailoring and more elaborate features: [http://www.leathernecklane.com/marine/uniforms/uniform6.htm](http://www.leathernecklane.com/marine/uniforms/uniform6.htm) Unfortunately, the USMC dress whites were discontinued at the end of the last century, and the current summer dress uniform is similar to the traditional embassy uniform: blue tunic with white trousers. By the way, I also preferred the USMC’s dress blues when they still wore the dark blue barracks cover instead of the now all-purpose white one. Somebody’s played Garanimals with the Marines! ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/11 "2006-05-15T12:19:17Z")
The British Pattern 1879 uniform (as seen in _Zulu_) gets my vote for Coolest. Uniform. Ever. As for modern uniforms? They all look the same, IMO. I really have no idea how anyone’s supposed to work out which side everyone’s on anymore… Criswell predicts that, in the future, we’ll see a return to 19th Century-style bright uniforms, since Laser/Electronic Imaging and Night Vision will have rendered camouflage moot anyway. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/12 "2006-05-15T17:31:54Z")
[This guy](http://www.tannenberg1914.de/4_feldh/mack.htm) looks pretty intimidating. Seriously, what would you think if you saw _that_ striding towards you across the field of battle? I, too, am a sucker for Marine dress blues. Makes me want to see what they look like crumpled up on the floor beside my bed. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/13 "2006-05-15T17:41:20Z")
I am partial to US Civil war-era uniforms. i particularly like the officer’s garb-big brass buttons and broad-drimmed stetsons. The Confederate ones were cool as well. Face it, camo gear isn’t all that awe-inspiring. As for the US civil war-how did the sides keep clear who was their own men? as i recall, some of the "zouave’ regiments were pretty unconventional-how would you know who zouaves belonged to whom? Face it-snazzy uniforms went out with WWI-although the germans still managed to keep pretty spiffy firld uniforms into WWII. ---
**Author:** ![friendlessboob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@friendlessboob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friendlessboob)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/14 "2006-05-15T18:15:11Z")
Evilness aside, as ralph124c points out the Nazis were sharp dressers. I have always thought the SS had the coolest uniform of any modern era (post ridiculous hats/capes/etc.). As far as current military uniforms, wikipedia seems to say they are all pretty much the same (grey/tan/green). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/15 "2006-05-15T18:22:16Z")
I like the old US cavalry uniform, mostly because of the Stetson hat. I like the World War II japanese officer uniforms. They looked pretty elegant. The new digital cammos are cool, but only the desert ones, the other ones look like they didn’t know wether to make it green or yellow. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/16 "2006-05-15T19:29:15Z")
I’ve always liked the [Evzone Guards](http://dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/bonc/2geographicsearch/Greece/greece.html) look. {Scroll down} ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/17 "2006-05-15T19:40:50Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] The coolest looking military uniform IMHO is also one of the most seldom-seen, because its service branch does not consider it a dress uniform (to the point where it may not be worn in public), yet it is no longer practical as a working uniform. I refer to the US Naval Aviation “Working Greens.” [service hat](http://www.reiss.dk/hats/common/Hat/show.asp?ID=286&Cat=6) [blouse](http://www.bill-woodier.com/Navy%20Avn%20Greens%20WW-II.JPG) [Cmdr. David McCampbell, the Navy’s top ace, in Greens uniform](http://www.surfpac.navy.mil/mccampbell/namesake-pix.htm) [/QUOTE] These get my vote too - I used to work with a senior chief who had a set, and they were really nice. Odd there are so few photos on the 'net. ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/4af34b/32.png) [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/18 "2006-05-15T20:37:46Z")
[QUOTE=BF] I’ve always liked the [Evzone Guards](http://dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/bonc/2geographicsearch/Greece/greece.html) look. {Scroll down} [/QUOTE] In uniforms like those, they _have_ to be tough! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/19 "2006-05-16T17:09:46Z")
My buddy is in the Canadian military and he wore his dress uniform for the wedding (his best man wore his as well). It was dark blue/black (I think the pants had a yellow stripe going down the side) and had chain-mail shoulder epiliates (sp?). It also had his medals on his left chest and a cool saber. He also wore black riding type boots with spurs. (trust me it looked way cooler than the above description!!) The other military people in his party wore different dress uniforms. Red jackets, black pants (with a red stripe) and sabers. Here is a picture, sorry it’s a little dark: [Military Dress](http://www.sky-net.ca/Pictures/Weddings/Chris%20and%20Danielle/Pictures%20at%20the%20Legislature/IM001818.JPG) MtM ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627/20 "2006-05-16T17:28:00Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I am partial to US Civil war-era uniforms. [/QUOTE] If you enjoyed the Civil-War era uniforms, the current US Army Dress Blue uniform should also please you, as they are fashioned after the Civil War uniforms. [A pic is here](http://history.amedd.army.mil/ANCWebsite/uniformpres_files/DressBluesM.jpg) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/across-the-world-which-military-has-the-coolest-looking-field-dress-uniforms/356627.md?page=2)