How Uniform Designs Influence Fashion

Uniforms have long been a place where fashion designers will go for inspiration.  An iconic example of military inspired fashion is Coco Chanel’s blue and white striped sailor shirt, also known as a ‘Breton shirt.’ While this design is nearly a century old, it is still commonly worn and elements of it have been quite literally woven into dresses, skirts and accessories.
In the 1970’s my company, then run by my father and my aunt, was on the forefront of the military surplus trend in fashion.   At the time, the business was located in a loft on 17^th Street off of 6^th Avenue and we turned part of our space into a retail area. Everything from German army jackets to original Royal Navy sweaters were sold and I. Buss became known as one of the best places in New York for authentic military wear.
Many of the styles from these items later went on to appear as trend setting designs for top designers including Ralph Lauren’s use of epaulets, Navy pea-coats, khaki pants and jackets, and Nehru style jackets that were adopted from the British military.
There is no doubt that other types of uniforms have made their way into popular culture. Just think about how ubiquitous baseball caps and high top sneakers have become. Even medical scrubs had their day back in the 80’s.
Uniforms deserve credit not only for inspiring fashion but also as fashion pieces in their own right. After all, if the Breton shirt were not striking, Chanel would not have bothered to make it a cornerstone of her designs. When I’m working on a design I consider this both from the point of view as a designer and as well as a customer. Increasingly, our clients are looking for looks that set them apart and I think that as uniforms become more imaginative they will continue to influence fashion. You never know what is inspiring, and I believe the creative mind sees inspiration in the details of everything.