Through the decades with the most famous pieces of U.S. Military outerwear, the Field Jacket.
Military uniform has been refined over centuries to make garments which are both practical in the field and efficient to produce.
Whilst these garments were designed for the battlefield, they have have been appropriated by popular and countercultural movements. They have also been seen on the shoulders of celebrities such as Steve McQueen and John Lennon, making the U.S. Military ‘Field Jackets’ undoubtedly iconic.
The first iteration was designed in 1941 as part of the World War II combat uniform. All field jacket designs from this point would be referred to by their year of design e.g. the M-41.
The Real McCoy’s have taken the original and examined the details down to the finest points. Each button, zipper and rivet is recreated by referencing deadstock parts and manufactured with their own cloth woven to the original specifications.
These designs have been around for almost 80 years — that’s pretty ‘classic’! The different models are all important and provide a bit of choice. Looking for something that feels tailored? Grab the 1943 with it’s point collar. Want something with a nod to counterculture? M65. Want a cool military jacket that’s not olive drab? The Aggressor is for you.
Finally, the silhouette when worn as designed (meaning a bit big so you can wear layers and bullets) is pretty similar to a drape cut: sloping shoulders, full chest, nipped waist via the elastic cinch, and a flared skirt. That description should sound familiar to fans of our tailoring.
The M-1943 set the bar for Army field jackets. It addressed all of the issues of its predecessor the M-41, as troops complained of it being too short, tight, and lacking useful pockets.
The M-1943 was originally issued with a removable hood and pile liner, making the jacket extremely versatile in both warm and colder conditions.
After WW2 the U.S. Army developed a more realistic training system in which select U.S. Army units would play the ‘aggressor troops’ in combat training exercises. The unique green color, “Army Shade 255”, was used to subtly differentiate each side.
Many of the Aggressor uniforms were burnt or destroyed after the Cold War which makes them extremely rare to find today, especially this M-1951.
Even though the M-65 is recognized as the most iconic field jacket of the U.S. Army, the jacket itself went through several minor iterations. The most notable feature of the ‘1st Model’ is that it does not feature epaulets.
Whilst some soldiers disliked the addition of the standing collar as it didn’t look as clean when pressed for service dress, it is undeniably and essential part of what makes this jacket so iconic.
This version of the M-1965 is probably the best known version of any field jacket in history. It was produced in vast quantities and in various fabrics for almost 40 years. It also went on to be immortalized in films such as Taxi Driver and Rocky.
