99% Invisible Gear (Articles of Interest)
59 snips
Nov 4, 2025 
Joshua Kerner, an expert on military uniform history, delves into the evolution of American military garments, from the colonial adoption of buckskin breeches to the development of hunting shirts. Phil Kly, a veteran and author, shares insights on Theodore Roosevelt's promotion of rugged masculinity and the cultural shift that led to the Spanish-American War. The discussion highlights how military surplus influenced modern menswear and the manufacturing practices that sustain American garment production today.
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Military Roots Of Classic Menswear
- Modern menswear borrows heavily from 20th-century military garments and surplus clothing.
- Designers replicate tiny details from military pieces to graft character onto new clothes.
Buck Mason's Surplus-Filled Design Room
- Kyle Fitzgibbons showed Avery a conference room filled with vintage military surplus that inspires Buck Mason designs.
- Designers count stitches and copy trim to reproduce the exact character of those garments.
How Military Contracts Keep U.S. Manufacturing
- The Berry Amendment forces military clothing to be made in the U.S., sustaining domestic factories.
- That military demand underpins much of America's remaining apparel manufacturing capacity.
