# What uniforms do you think are obsolete? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549 "2007-08-30T23:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/21 "2007-08-31T05:54:29Z")
[QUOTE=Hung Mung] The [Swiss Guard](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.zanzig.com/travel/rome-photos/rome002a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.zanzig.com/travel/rome-photos/rome002.htm&h=750&w=500&sz=66&tbnid=FZTe0u01ysbvtM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dswiss%2Bguard%26um%3D1&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1). It’s time to get those silly bastards some camo. [/QUOTE] Dammit, you should warn people about that pic! I still have the afterimage burned upon my retinas. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/22 "2007-08-31T05:58:00Z")
[QUOTE=Hung Mung] The [Swiss Guard](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.zanzig.com/travel/rome-photos/rome002a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.zanzig.com/travel/rome-photos/rome002.htm&h=750&w=500&sz=66&tbnid=FZTe0u01ysbvtM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dswiss%2Bguard%26um%3D1&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1). It’s time to get those silly bastards some camo. [/QUOTE] I always thought those guys looked badass because you know that they have the ability to put a pike through you or cut your heart out with a sword, and yet they’re secure enough to wear such cheerful duds. But then, I’ve always loved uniforms. In fact, I’m always the guy who says, “yeah, the Nazis were evil and everything, but Jesus, their uniforms looked badass!” Those threads outclassed the Allies by a mile. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/23 "2007-08-31T07:37:36Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] Got that right - after 3 or so years I still feel like an idiot wearing that getup in public. I’ll wear a kilt in Colorado without feeling the least bit self-conscious, but middle-aged people never look good in Boy Scout uniforms. [/QUOTE] A few years ago, they held a big international Boy Scout Jamboree along our Eastern Seaboard. The king of Sweden has business interests in Thailand and so comes here a lot. He’s also a big scouting enthusiast, and he showed up at the Jamboree wearing his regulation Boy Scout uniform. His photo was plastered all over the newspapers. Man, did he ever look ridiculous, sort of like an elderly molester. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/24 "2007-08-31T08:27:11Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] Looks like synchronized hedgehog kicking to me. [/QUOTE] More like Tribbles ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/25 "2007-08-31T09:09:08Z")
No kidding. Something about that makes it seem like the Nazis could have brought at least a few good things to the world. We’d have some kickass uniforms. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/26 "2007-08-31T13:42:51Z")
[QUOTE=Merkwurdigliebe] No kidding. Something about that makes it seem like the Nazis could have brought at least a few good things to the world. We’d have some kickass uniforms. [/QUOTE] You can still get your elite cadres outfitted by [their tailors](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Boss), should you so desire. I second those Greek urchin-kicking guys too. Pom-poms are not very scary. Also, Highlander regiments. Put on some pants, man. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/27 "2007-08-31T18:30:30Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] In the world of porn, the wearing of scrubbies by real nurses have wiped out all but the last vestiges of white linen tight-skirted fetish nurses. [/quote] And those silly little hats. I’m 41 years old, and can’t remember the last time I saw a real nurse wearing one of those, let alone one adorned with a red cross. But they’re still all over the place in porn and cosplay. > [@](#): > > But the the strongest attraction is the Japanese Schoolgirl Uniform. People complain about prepubescent American girls in slut-wear fashions, but, on sheer tons measured teaspoon by teaspoon, I’d bet that more mastubatory spendings are offered up to the image of girls dressed in propper school uniforms than as hip-hop divas. Mmmmmm … sailor suits … ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/28 "2007-08-31T19:31:33Z")
Personally I like the old fashioned quirks in some uniforms it makes the world a more interesting place and no doubt helps the tourist industry judging by the number of people queing up to be photographed beside Beefeaters given the chance. It can be a reminder of past events and a source of pride to the wearers. Functionalism taken to its logical extreme ends up with the dreariness of China during the era of Mao suits. Or you can go for the contemporary look which soon isnt so contemporary and just looks dated without any history . Remember the hip trendy designer uniforms of the sixties ? Or do we continually update uniforms every couple of years? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/29 "2007-08-31T19:44:00Z")
[QUOTE=madmonk28] All the other Supreme Court justices wear the traditional unadorned black judicial robes. [/QUOTE] Which they provide themselves, according to Stephen Breyer (who claimed it when he was on _Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me_). ---
**Author:** ![AHoosierMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@AHoosierMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHoosierMama)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/30 "2007-08-31T20:05:51Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] But then, I’ve always loved uniforms. In fact, I’m always the guy who says, “yeah, the Nazis were evil and everything, but Jesus, their uniforms looked badass!” Those threads outclassed the Allies by a mile. [/QUOTE] They were designed by Hugo Boss. ---
**Author:** ![AHoosierMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@AHoosierMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHoosierMama)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/31 "2007-08-31T20:08:07Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] Stewardesses wouldn’t wear lycra wear for safety reasons, the same reasons travelers are advised to wear non-synthetic clothes in case of a crash. [/QUOTE] Cuz’ we’d rather burn slowly than just quickly go up in flames? ---
**Author:** ![Hobohob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Hobohob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobohob)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/32 "2007-08-31T20:10:19Z")
[QUOTE=PunditLisa] **Stewardesses** , er, flight attendants wearing low heels and skirts. Christ, can we move on to the 21st century? If there’s a job that calls for a lycra jogging suit and gym shoes, it’s flight attendant. [/QUOTE] I may be old fashioned or horny, but I still prefer the short skirts featured in the stew book _Coffee, Tea, or Me_ The epaulets on pilots’ shoulders, though, should have gone out of style when planes got windows and heaters - no more reason to carry your gloves on your shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/33 "2007-08-31T20:23:03Z")
Men in kilts. [dies] ---
**Author:** ![Hobohob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Hobohob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobohob)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/34 "2007-08-31T20:31:45Z")
Especially Sean Connery in a kilt. That guy can never wear anything but his Bond tux without making me laugh ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/35 "2007-08-31T21:17:47Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Which they provide themselves, according to Stephen Breyer (who claimed it when he was on _Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me_). [/QUOTE] That was an awesome show and he was so cool on it. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/36 "2007-09-01T00:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] In the world of porn, the wearing of scrubbies by real nurses have wiped out all but the last vestiges of white linen tight-skirted fetish nurses. Nun porn still holds stong in Italy, but relaxed dresscodes by the Church may cause that to wane as well. Compulsory wearing of the hajib and chardor by Moslem women, combined with thousands of them now forced into prostituion by the Iraq war and the prevalence of cell-phone cameras has ushered in a new age of that form of uniform porn. But the the strongest attraction is the Japanese Schoolgirl Uniform. People complain about prepubescent American girls in slut-wear fashions, but, on sheer tons measured teaspoon by teaspoon, I’d bet that more mastubatory spendings are offered up to the image of girls dressed in propper school uniforms than as hip-hop divas. [/QUOTE] I feel it my duty to inform you that we have brothels where the girls will wear nurses’ uniforms and such. And a few bars where the bargirls’ uniform is that same style of school dress. One of those bars has what they call a Naughty Boy’s Corner. I’ll leave that to your imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/37 "2007-09-01T00:57:13Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] And those silly little hats. I’m 41 years old, and can’t remember the last time I saw a real nurse wearing one of those, let alone one adorned with a red cross. But they’re still all over the place in porn and cosplay. [/QUOTE] The nurses over here wear the hats. Maybe that’s why I always think of porn when I see them. That plus they look so cute! Makes any trip to the hospital a pleasure. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/38 "2007-09-01T01:04:37Z")
Either the [breeches and high brown boots](http://www.aggieband.com/images/submit/marching.jpg) uniforms flaunted by Texas Aggie senior cadets are obsolete, or else it’s time U.S. Army officers stopped dressing like bus drivers. I suspect the latter. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/39 "2007-09-01T01:11:24Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Either the [breeches and high brown boots](http://www.aggieband.com/images/submit/marching.jpg) uniforms flaunted by Texas Aggie senior cadets are obsolete, or else it’s time U.S. Army officers stopped dressing like bus drivers. I suspect the latter. [/QUOTE] Not that I’m a corps turd or band queer, or anything remotely like that, but the uniforms, as best I can tell, are a sort of hybrid of WWII US Army officer’s uniforms along with some kind of cavalry jodphurs and cavalry boots for seniors. It really was odd going to school there, and seeing the corps people, and then seeing a movie like “Command Decision”, and thinking that Clark Gable looked like a big corps turd. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549/40 "2007-09-01T01:22:15Z")
Lemme put you hep here, **bump** : Before, oh, the middle 1930s or so, _all_ Army officers wore breeches, high boots, and shoulder belts. (The cavalry was on the way out, but the officer corps was an out-and-out petty aristocracy and _very_ attached to tradition.) What looks strange to most of us is cadets dressing like soldiers from a genteel country-club era while wearing jarhead haircuts and yalloping like rednecks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-uniforms-do-you-think-are-obsolete/417549.md?page=3)