Khaki Timeline
1846: Khaki invention
From the Punjab to standard British Army wear
The word Khaki originates from the Urdu word "khāki," meaning "dusty," and from the Persian word "khak," meaning "dust". Khaki was first adopted by the British Army in the mid-19th century for its field uniforms, at first informally in India, and then eventually throughout the British Empire. As the Oxford English Dictionary elaborates, Khaki was composed of "stout-twilled cotton," or "Khaki drill," but also sometimes of wool, a variant known as "Khaki Bedford".
Sir Henry "Harry" Burnett Lumsden is credited as the inventor (or at least the popularizer) of military Khaki. In 1846, he was tasked with creating a new unit of men that would serve in the Punjab, on the always-active northwest frontier where British India met Afghanistan in a wild-and-woolly menagerie of tribes, deserts and mountains.
The success of the Khaki camouflage led to all British soldiers being issued with a Khaki uniform when they were posted overseas.
When the First World War started in 1914, some cavalry regiments wore their traditional colourful uniforms, however new regulations meant they soon had to change to Khaki, the colour of the mud in the trenches and the dust of the roads the soldiers had to travel. By WWII, the US Army reacted on their European counterparts by dressing its troops in Khaki. More than half a century later, the military inspired look of Khaki trousers, shirt and tie became an inspirational fashion trend.
Photo: Sir Henry Lumsden with HRH King Edward VII, India 1847
Photo: The Thin Khaki Line, 1917
1900s – '20s: The Great Safari's
Khaki becomes the ideal men's wear for explorers and adventurers
Khakis became the standard garb for men by the turn of the 20th-Century; a natural uniform for explorers and adventurers, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Lindburgh and Ernest Hemingway. It was Teddy Roosevelt who first popularized Khaki clothing (trousers or pants, shirt, tie and safari jacket) for his much publicized hunting expeditions, whilst the British, who occupied much of Africa at the time, later adopted as their own garment of choice. Isak Dinesen's celebrated novel – turned movie Out of Africa, romanticized this era and was in part responsible for bringing Khaki back in fashion during the 1980s.
Levi Strauss & Co. entered the fashion psyche as far back as 1906 when it produced its first Khaki pant. In 1910, it launched a wider portfolio of pants and tops under the 'Sunset Label'. The simple design graphic of a red sun with red radiating rays became an instantly recognisable hit. The company continued to produce Khaki until the early 1970s, when there was a fall in demand. Less than a decade later the Dockers® brand was launched.
Photo: Khakis trousers first produced under 'The Sunset Label' for Levi Strauss & Co.
1940s: WWII
At ease men... comfortable Khaki attire
During World War II, the US Army could not but help notice the disheveled appearance of its average 'G.I. Joe' in stark contrast to his British counterpart. In response to this, the government sought a comfortable, high quality cotton fabric that was durable, would not fade and, at the same time, provide a consistent look for uniforms - the search ended with Khaki. Throughout the war years, Khaki became the apparel for the all-American hero as personified on newsreels, in books, newspapers and on screen.
1940s: Hollywood
Hollywood interprets Khaki as definitive fashion wear
Hollywood picked up on the Khaki trend and associated it with adventure and courage. Some of the leading ladies of the day began sporting Khaki's both on and of screen thus bringing glamour to the attire.
It was Katherine Hepburn who first dared to wear a pair in public, which brought her directly in conflict with Hollywood powerhouses like Louis B Mayer and B.P Schulberg. Bette Davis adopted the style as her own, as did Greta Garbo, who by 1941 had retired from the public eye, and was already on her way to become the world's most famous recluse. Marlene Dietrich's daily uniform during WWII was a simple Khaki suit; a jacket and pant set and a twin-set designed for her by Hollywood costumier Travis Banton.
Hollywood had its fair share of actors who served in the U.S. Army and air services both during and directly after the war; James Stewart, Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Glenn Miller, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Mickey Rooney and Charlton Heston, their heroism gained a great deal of column inches and a loyal legion of fans. There were also those who, as a result of their military service, would aspire to the acting profession and become stars in their own right, including Audie Murphy, Charles Durning, Jack Warden, and Clint Eastwood.
Foreseeing that military-influenced clothing would soon filter down to the fashion catwalk, Hollywood's premier costume designer Gilbert Adrian lead the way in showing not only suits, but gowns with a military theme in his seasonal collections.
In 1942, The Hollywood Canteen was established. It was a vast and glamour-filled nightclub for GIs, located in the heart of tinsel town. Stars from every studio sacrificed any extra hours they could to help entertain soldiers who were temporarily in Los Angeles. Only one thing united all those who attended – Khaki. Khaki became the uniform to which a nation could relate to.
Photo: Khaki heroes: Bob Hope and stars entertain the troops on the front line, 1943-1945
Photo: Ten shilling note signed by stars at The Hollywood Canteen, 1944, including actors Joseph Cotton and Wynne Gibson, and screenwriter Charles Brackett
Photo: Sheet music for the song 'Don't Fence Me In' part of the songs featured in the Warner Bros. movie, 'Hollywood Canteen' (1944)
Photo: Cary Grant with Mildred Shay, at The Gilmore Stadium, Los Angeles, 1944
1950s: Returning G.I's and College Campus Life
Khaki goes from the frontline to become a fashion lead trend
Khaki's made the transition to civilian life in the US during the fifties as young men returning home from the front line continued to wear them. The G.I bill allowed former soldiers to attend college, thus the popularity of Khaki in collegiate communities spread from campus to campus.
In Europe, and the Khaki trend filtered through less than a decade later, starting in the South of France, before progressing through to other key countries and cities, including Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1960, London was the first city to introduce a men's catwalk show during Fashion Week in which men's trousers were worn below the hip rather than above the hip for the first time.
From Elvis and Chuck Berry to Gore Vidal and teenage magazine heartthrobs Tab Hunter, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman - each took the fabric into the next decade, as did the US political establishment under John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.
Even as fashion turned flamboyant in the 1960s, Khakis retained their image - epitomizing a free spirit with a comfortable, utilitarian, everyday attitude. During the mid 1960s, a slim-fit stay-press Khaki men's trouser was added to the line. It proved to be an instant hit as the look personified by Dustin Hoffman as Ben Braddock in The Graduate (1967) took hold of the fashion industry for men.
Photo: Back from the front line: Khaki men's trousers enter civilian life
Photo: Khaki found its natural a home amongst the Ivy League
1960s: Camelot
The Kennedy Clan up men's fashion stakes wearing Khaki leisure wear
President JFK presented a more casual All-American look to an admiring public, playing touch football on the White House lawn or relaxing on the beaches of Hyannisport with his family. John F. Kennedy wore less-structured one-button suits and adopted Khakis as their predominant leisure wear.
In the era of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, the nation entered a period rife with fads and fashion. Khakis were worn mainly by college bound kids as portrayed in the film America Graffiti – Ironically Khakis became known as the pants worn by Young Republicans.
The decade was marked by sweeping social change and the domination of youth culture – the war babies were growing up and demanded their own fashion style. In Europe, designers responded with a much more liberal, daring approach to fashion, boasting colourful fabrics and bold designs. Clothing began to break with social traditions that dictated what could be worn when and by whom. In the past, attire had been divided in to 'formal' and 'casual' wear, and distinct separations were made between the styles of clothing worn by men and women. The 1960s, however, saw the emergence of unisex clothing such as denim jeans and Khaki trousers which could be worn by both sexes.
Photo: Tab Hunter and Sophia Loren with the restaurateur at Angelo's in New York, 1958
1980s: Khaki Revival
Dockers® leads the Khaki revival
When the Republicans took office conservatism was the order of the day. America had a generation of educated baby boomers with disposable incomes. Levi Strauss & Co. saw a niche in the market place and introduced Dockers® Khaki trousers to the masses. Khaki's became a staple item in every man's wardrobe. The overall message that was conveyed during the 1980s was the ideal that you could become as successful as you believe to be. Therefore, during this era many men "dressed for success" adopting the pin-stripe suit as personified by director Oliver Stone's 'Wall Street' (1987) believing it would help them move up the corporate ladder. Weekend attire was predominately 'preppy' paired Khaki trousers or coloured chinos with pastel coloured tees and striped shirts. Cardigan sweaters and bold graphic jumpers were also all the rage.
By the mid 1990s, the Dockers® brand was launched worldwide, including Canada, Singapore, Australia and Europe, fast becoming one of the most popular men's casual brands of the decade.
1990s/2000's:
Rediscovered: Khaki trousers new appeal
From the mid-1990s, Khaki trousers became synonymous with effortless style suitable for leisurely get-always and business casual wear. New innovations gave birth to Khaki's in a multitude of colour hues. Easy-care fabrics and updated styling brought Khakis into the wardrobe of a younger consumer. During the late 1990s, haute couture designers from Chanel to Donna Karen, Yohji Yamamoto to Jean-Paul Gautier, incorporated Khaki cloth into their designs, making Khaki the staple diet for everyone's wardrobe.
In 2008, Dockers® set out to develop an iconic Khaki pant. This followed indirectly from the trend set during Fashion Week that season. The Dockers® brand aimed the K-1 Limited Edition Khaki pant squarely at a younger, trend-current audience. Working closely with Dockers® creative designers, the brand built a campaign behind the product which looked and behaved so authentically, one might well believe the US Army created it in the 1930s.
From the colonial tobacco shades on super-lightweight two-button suits to the Burmese jungle Khakis in modern Rangoon-inspired tailoring silhouettes, Khaki made a big impression during Fashion Week for the past two seasons. Style indicators already forecast that Fall/Winter 2010 will have a strong WWII inspired theme with Khaki trousers leading the way.
Photos: Dockers® during the 1990s