Who had the best uniforms in WWII?

[Malachi151]

I'm post pics but I can't find examples of all the stuff I'd like to post.

Its a tough call but I had to go with the Germans. I also like the Soviet uniforms for style to though, especially the officers trench coats.

I think one of the best looking pices of WWII wear was the Soviet leather officers trench coat and also the wool trench coat, but overall the German uniforms had the "coolest" style.

Everything the Germans had have a unified look, from the boots to the guns you can look at any of their stuff and tell immediately its German. You gotta admit the SS looked sharp, too bad they were stick and twisted. :p

The Americna stuff is strange, just from looking at the pictures of Americans, Germans, and Russian, the Americnas always just "look" like the good guys, its like the American uniforms just had that "good guy" look to them. The British of course looked stuffy as usual :p

[geni]

WHY HAVE YOU LEFT US BRITS OUT OF THE POLL?

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by geni
WHY HAVE YOU LEFT US BRITS OUT OF THE POLL?

I would add them now, but its too late. Plus, I mean come on ;) The Brits were excellent in the war, no doubt, but I mean when it comes to the style of the uniforms.. let;s get real ;) j/k

[Ranb]

Are you judging on style or performance?

I liked my cracker-jack dress blues while I was in the US Navy, but it was dangerous to wear in the engine room. The whites sucked, just putting them on made them dirty. Coveralls worked well, but God forbid if I was caught wearing them off of the boat.

Ranb

[Regnad Kcin]

Originally posted by Malachi151
I would add them now, but its too late. I believe, though I'm not certain, that a moderator can edit your poll after the fact. Why not PM one and see? (Be sure to add the Italian jobs while you're at it.)

Per the topic, yes, the German officer uniforms (from the various services) did have that certain something. However, it gives me somewhat of an unsettled feeling to even consider the question, much less acknowledge my take.

BTW, I wonder what The Fool thinks? ;)

[Ladewig]

The German uniforms did have a certain elan. The U.S. uniforms looked so functional (which of course has to be the primary consideration for a military uniform). The Germans also had more stylish hand guns and tanks.

I will, however, give points to Eisenhower for his cropped jacket.

You also left the Italians out of the survey. Probably rightly so. One look at their uniforms and you could tell that their hearts weren't in it.

As for the Brits, Monty's beret and their commandos' sweaters are the only things worth mentioning in WW II. They do get very high marks for the trench coat but that is not from "The Big One."

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by Ranb
Are you judging on style or performance?

I liked my cracker-jack dress blues while I was in the US Navy, but it was dangerous to wear in the engine room. The whites sucked, just putting them on made them dirty. Coveralls worked well, but God forbid if I was caught wearing them off of the boat.

Ranb

LOL, not getting much action in the ports with those on eh? :)

[Malachi151]

What I always consider so "funny" about WWII is that the Germans actually look like the bad guys. I mean its like if you tried to make it up in a movie you could not do any better. Afterall the uniforms of the Empire in Star Wars were modeled after Nazi designs.

If a mod wants to add the Brits or Italians that is fine... the Italians, I mean get real... while we are at it we may as well add the Canadians and the French :p j/k, j/k :D

[Abdul Alhazred]

It's a tossup between the Spanish and the Irish. Oh, wait a minute, they weren't in it. OK, it's the Swedish. :p :D

[Ranb]

American Sailors in uniform on liberty in Perth back in the mid 80's could find themselves to be a bit popular in the bars. Did not work so well for me though. Most of the guys on my boat only wore the uniform when directed, better to wear civies on liberty. These days, it is safer to be out of uniform while off base in many foreign ports.

Ranb

[Jet Grind]

Vote: German, since we're voting on the basis of looks.

[Mycroft]

Originally posted by Malachi151
What I always consider so "funny" about WWII is that the Germans actually look like the bad guys. I mean its like if you tried to make it up in a movie you could not do any better. Afterall the uniforms of the Empire in Star Wars were modeled after Nazi designs.

That could also be cultural bias. They look evil to you because you've been taught to associate evil with them. I know I grew up watching war movies where the Nazis were the bad guys. If you take away the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to see how the common people could get swept into the beauty of Nazism.

Give the devil his due. What the Nazis did, they did very well, and that includes uniform design.

[Malachi151]

Yes and no. I understnad what you are saying, but let's be real, a big red flag with a black crooked cross in the middle of it? I mean dude, I think anyone would think that looks pretty sinister.

I like the Nazi equipment though to, it all has a unified style that was modern and imposing, thier stuff just plain looks bad.

I agre e that some is due to cultural conditioning, but their helmets look aggressive, US hemlets look "nice". They look functional, but they don't look aggressive. The Germans made thier stuff look aggressive on purpose I think.

The SS with the lighting looking SS symbol and the Death's Head organization with a skull as their symbol, I mean come on! :p

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/cap-ass-off-visor-1.jpg

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/helmet-wss-m35-2.jpg

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/ring-ss-honor-1.jpg

These are nice jackets though:

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/uni-heer-gen-leather1.jpg

Overall nice on style though:

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/lah-present-arms.jpg

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/lw-obergefreiter-dagger.jpg

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/bilder/goring-keitel-donitz-himmler-hitler.jpg

Nothing like causing horror in style I guess...

[American]

The ones with the fewest bullet holes in them, bloodied and burned beyond recognition.....


Ours.

[Suddenly]

I remember reading something that claimed that in every war ever fought the side with the less ornate uniforms won.

I'm trying to think of a counter-example...

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by Suddenly
I remember reading something that claimed that in every war ever fought the side with the less ornate uniforms won.

I'm trying to think of a counter-example...

Americans vs Native Americans
The Civil War?
Africans vs the British
The Boar War
Iraq vs the US?

[American]

Originally posted by Malachi151

Iraq vs the US?


You're funny.

[Ed]

If it weren't a bit early, I'd swear that the German uniforms were from the pilot of Queer Eye for the Strait Guy

[tedly]

Originally posted by Ladewig

.......
I will, however, give points to Eisenhower for his cropped jacket.
......
As for the Brits, Monty's beret and their commandos' sweaters are the only things worth mentioning in WW II. They do get very high marks for the trench coat but that is not from "The Big One."

Eisenhower's jacket looks very like the British battledress blouse. Did he not in fact adopt it (the BD blouse) because he liked the look?

[Mycroft]

Originally posted by Malachi151
Yes and no. I understnad what you are saying, but let's be real, a big red flag with a black crooked cross in the middle of it? I mean dude, I think anyone would think that looks pretty sinister.

Well, red & black is very Halloween, very sinister looking, but the swastika was a good-luck symbol before the Nazis took it. To someone in the early days of Nazism, it would be a red/white flag (common) with a lucky charm in the middle.

Originally posted by Malachi151
I agre e that some is due to cultural conditioning, but their helmets look aggressive, US hemlets look "nice". They look functional, but they don't look aggressive. The Germans made thier stuff look aggressive on purpose I think.

The SS with the lighting looking SS symbol and the Death's Head organization with a skull as their symbol, I mean come on! :p[/B]

You got me on the totenkopf. Nothing says evil like a silver skull and crossbones.

[Tesserat]

The Canadians, of course

WWII Canadian uniforms (http://www.mpmuseum.org/provostbd.html)

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Malachi151


Americans vs Native Americans
The Civil War?
Africans vs the British
The Boar War
Iraq vs the US?

Ahem.... The African tribes were often very ornately turned out. Its just your bigoted euro-centric fascist view that they werent.

And its Boer, not 'Boar'. Boer means 'Farmer' while Boar is a type of wild pig, you Nazi scumbag!!!

Anyway, the Germans had the best helmets but their battle-dress was far too formal. This is a war guys, not a frickin boardroom meeting! Besides the Germans wanted to look like the bad guys!!!

Theres nothing wrong with the British uniforms, just the helmet looks very nerdy.

[Ladewig]

Eisenhower's jacket looks very like the British battledress blouse. Did he not in fact adopt it (the BD blouse) because he liked the look?

I was wrong. The Brits had it first (and in more colours).

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by Tesserat
The Canadians, of course

WWII Canadian uniforms (http://www.mpmuseum.org/provostbd.html)

This shirt is actually pretty sweet:

http://www.mpmuseum.org/ww2uniforms/battledress/bd6.jpg

http://www.mpmuseum.org/ww2uniforms/battledress/bd6a.jpg

[Ed]

Why do I get the idea that Malachi wants to re-launch the Village People?

Woo hoo

http://www.officialvillagepeople.com/ABC%20pixpage/images/YMCA%201.jpg

Very butch, you brute:D

[Jim Lennox]

My vote goes to the nurses.

[LW]

Originally posted by American
The ones with the fewest bullet holes in them, bloodied and burned beyond recognition.....

By that criterion it should be Denmark, then.

[Ladewig]

If we are talking about uniforms and clothing used in WW II instead of uniforms designed in WW II, then I also give high marks for the U.S. Navy pea coat.

[Ralph]

I was watching the History channel the other day----there was a show on about WW2. They showed a pic of Rheinhard Heydrich
wearing a black,coal-scuttle SS helmet.

Most of pics you see of this guy show him wearing an officers cap....not a steel helmet. Not that he ever looked like a warm & fuzzy guy under any circumstances but there was something absolutely chilling about this pic. The guy just looked like a bloodless, emotionless, monster.

Of course we was just that....but I don't think he would've looked the part so much if he was wearing a standard US GI uniform.


As far as "parade ground" looks go-----you can't beat a bunch of crazed Brits or Scotsmen wearing kilts and some pipes &
drums blaring away.......

[Skeptic]

I was watching the History channel the other day----there was a show on about WW2.

That's not news. It's news when you watch the History channel and there ISN'T a WWII show on. The "H" in their logo really should stand for something else.

[Nasarius]

Originally posted by Skeptic
I was watching the History channel the other day----there was a show on about WW2.

That's not news. It's news when you watch the History channel and there ISN'T a WWII show on. The "H" in their logo really should stand for something else.

I think this is the one time I can agree with Skeptic on anything :D

[peptoabysmal]

The French uniforms were very suave, but hardly anyone has ever seen them from the front side!

(just kidding :p)

[LW]

Originally posted by LW


By that criterion it should be Denmark, then.

I have to correct myself here since, for example, the Nicaraguans had fewer casualties than the Danes, so that would make their uniforms even better.

[NoZed Avenger]

Originally posted by LW


I have to correct myself here since, for example, the Nicaraguans had fewer casualties than the Danes, so that would make their uniforms even better.

Well, I c ould certainly see why those uniforms would be more popular, anyway.

[Melissa Johnson]

Originally posted by Skeptic
I was watching the History channel the other day----there was a show on about WW2.

That's not news. It's news when you watch the History channel and there ISN'T a WWII show on. The "H" in their logo really should stand for something else.

As I like to call it, the "Hitler Channel" ;)

(no, not very original)

[AmateurScientist]

Originally posted by Melissa Johnson


As I like to call it, the "Hitler Channel" ;)

(no, not very original)

Me too, for years now. I find most of the Hitler and Nazi documentaries to be oddly compelling. I have a morbid fascination with their influence, their effectiveness, and then later their desperation.

AS

[Alaric]

Heck..just look at their equipment...its amazing. One guy uses one if their tanks in a sig file-160 tonner called the Maus. Look at the Konigstiger or the Jagtiger- the problem with the Nazis is that there stuff is far to cool. Jet planes, anti tank missle, the first assault rifles.
Its just not right. This uniform thing falls right into the same category-just too cool looking to disregard. Heck-even take a good look at their field camo. Neat..and way ahead of its time.


Damned Nazis.



EDIT- The above makes me look like a nazi sympathizer. Im not. I grew up with an English father and a Prussian mum in Canada so I got exposed to it all. Just that the Bizmark and the like keep pulling back to the german toys. Technically speaking-GENIUS

[Skeptic]

Originally posted by peptoabysmal
The French uniforms were very suave, but hardly anyone has ever seen them from the front side!

(just kidding :p)

In the old days, British uniform were red so that (among other things) the soldiers won't see the blood if others were hit... which is why French uniform used to have brown pants.

[Skeptic]

Originally posted by AmateurScientist


Me too, for years now. I find most of the Hitler and Nazi documentaries to be oddly compelling. I have a morbid fascination with their influence, their effectiveness, and then later their desperation.

AS

Another problem with the History channel's "documentaries" is that they use the SAME stock footage in all of them.

I swear I've seen the SAME footage of infantry assualt, naval guns firing, planes bombing a city, etc. used in every "battle documentary" from 1939 to 1945, and from Siberia to New Guinea.