In its simplest distillment, the Eisenhower jacket , or "Ike" jacket , is a type of military uniform blouson, or shortened coat, terminating in a waistband. But by every measure and in every respect, the waist cropped, M-1944 Wool Field Jacket – better known then, as now, by its "Eisenhower" and "Ike Jacket" eponyms – is no ordinary jacket. Despite its supposed purpose as an every-warrior’s uniform, it was a politically charged fashion statement, born from vanity and inspired by jealous rivalry.
Broad shouldered and stylishly tailored, it ranks as the world’s first garment purposely designed for the dawning age of sound-bites and "press buzz," its birth sped on the heels of a mass-media revolution that, for the first time in history, shuttled televised news reels into the homes and theaters of everyday citizens, across America.
In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941 – "a date which will live in infamy," promised then president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt – the Empire of Japan struck Pearl Harbor. Just minutes before the attack, couriers from the Japanese Embassy hand-delivered a formal, 14-page Declaration of War to the State Department in Washington, D.C. Germany’s Declaration, then Italy’s, promptly followed, catapulting the U.S. into the European Theater of Operations (ETO).
Until the late-1930s, the U.S. Army’s field uniform consisted of a wool shirt, mid-hip-length "All Purpose Service Coat" and Wool Overcoat. Save for its belted waist, the single-breasted Service Coat resembled a suit or sport coat more than a uniform. Little changed since World War I, it featured notched lapels and five metal buttons from its open collar to its belted waist. Made of heavy wool serge, it touted two flapped and button-through patch pockets at the breast and two identically styled patch pockets below its belted waist – its four pockets either box-pleated or bellows-styled-pleats.
Using civilian "windcheaters" as its ideal design objective, the Army began a four-year study in 1935 to develop a more practical and effective combat jacket to replace the Service Coat.
In 1940, it first adopted the M-38, then later, the M-41 Field Jacket, or "Parson’s Jacket," its name won from Major General J. K. Parsons who helmed its development. Simply designed and modeled after a civilian windcheater made by John Rissman & Sons of Chicago, it was a short, button-front weatherproof jacket with a tight fitting waist and two flapped and button-through front pockets.
In early 1943, front-line skirmishes in Europe and North Africa proved the long, mid hip-length Service Coat, as well as the shorter M-41 Parson’s Field Jacket, inappropriate for what was then, modern-era combat. The Service Coat was re-deployed to garrison and parade duty, exclusively, and the M-41 was replaced by a new and completely redesigned Field Jacket, the M-43.
M-43 Field Jacket – Multi-Environment Combat Uniform Building Block
Built around the layering principle, the M-43 became the basic building block of a multi-environment, all-season combat uniform being developed by the Office of the Quartermaster General (OQMG) for world-wide combat.
In May 15, 1943, the Air Transport Command (ATC) recommended development of a short, waist cropped woolen field jacket that could be worn under the M-43 as an added insulator.
M-44, a.k.a. "Ike Jacket," prototype development
Six months later, in the fall of 1943, the Army Air Corps prototype jacket was sent to Chief Quartermaster of the European Theatre of Operations for review and possible adoption by ETO commanding general, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Eisenhower had already requested a waist-cropped style; his based on the English battle jacket, "but with more distinctive style." A no-nonsense military man, Ike was a partisan advocate of the British jacket’s functional sensibilities.
Frustrated by the Army’s slow-grinding bureaucracy, Eisenhower sent his Service Coat, along with a British battle jacket, to his longtime personal tailor, Arthur "Art" Ermilio, a Philadelphia-based, custom tailor. Eisenhower tasked Ermilio with creating a Field Jacket loosely modeled after the shorter, British battle jacket.
Like many of Savile Row’s earliest custom tailoring firms, Ermilio Custom Tailors & Clothiers had specialized in custom-bespoke military uniforms since its founding in 1897 and continued to cater to wealthy and high-ranking officers, Eisenhower included.
According to Ermilio’s son, Robert "Bob" Ermilio – the third generation Ermilio to head the 113-year-old and still-family owned firm that today ranks America’s oldest, custom-bespoke design and tailoring house – Eisenhower tasked Ermilio with designing a jacket that was "neater" than the British battle jacket. "A style that could be worn by itself or over a shirt" was among Eisenhower’s many, well-thought-out specifications, recalls the younger Ermilio.
Equally important, listed Eisenhower, is that it be "very short and very comfortable, even while raising a rifle or pistol." The practical-minded Eisenhower also insisted that it conserve on wool, then a war-rationed commodity. To Eisenhower’s delight, Ermilio’s design shaved away nearly one-and-a-half yards of wool.
Still, Eisenhower’s most emphatic instruction was the its design by "very natty looking."
The collaborative design created by Eisenhower and Ermilio was adopted, in principle, by the OQMG in early 1944 and integrated into its layering strategy for an all-season, combat uniform.
By mid-1944, the OQMG finalized the several layering components of its multi-environment combat uniform, anointing the M-43 Field Jacket its basic, universal building block. A dramatically revised version of the M-41, the M-43 touted a wind-proof, olive drab colored cotton poplin outer shell with internal layers that could be added or eliminated depending on local battle conditions. In cold environs, its notched lapels converted to a stand-up, storm-flap for added neck protections. A pile jacket liner and fur-edged hood could also be added.
Designed to be second, insulated layer, the Ike jacket, a.k.a. M-44, was created to be worn underneath the M-43. In extreme cold, a sweater, flannel shirt and wool-cotton T-shirt was worn under the Ike jacket.
In November, 1944, the M-44, or Ike jacket, was classified standard issued. The Ike jacket featured a roomy, bloused back with action pleats and oversized sleeves, its fit large and loose to accommodate the several added insulating underlays without compromising either comfort or freedom of movement.
Immediately after its issue the Eisenhower jacket was assigned double-duty. Beside a combat field jacket it was also appointed the Army’s dress and parade uniform.
Thanks to its dress uniform status, soldiers – officers, in particular – sought out their own tailors, adopting the snugly tailored design Ermilio had created for Eisenhower. Hence was born the Ike jacket.
"Modern fashion is borne from either sport or combat," tells G. Bruce Boyer, the world celebrated fashion author and noted American dandy. No greater confirmation to Boyer’s incisive comment than the Ike jacket. Unwittingly, the collaboration between Ermilio and Eisenhower created one of the world’s most enduring fashion icons, an Americana classic whose stature rivals Levi's 5-pocket, shrink-to-fit 501s, cowboy boots, and penny loafers, and the short-sleeved, white T-shirt.
Whether the standard issue, M-44 Field Jacket or its sveltely re-tailored, Ike jacket sibling, their shared common denominators are an olive drab, 18-ounce wool surge. Once turned up and buttoned over, its notched lapels became a convertible, "storm collar" that protected the neck and throat in chilly environs. Staggered cuffs buttons created adjustable cuffs that could be relaxed or cinched tight at the wrist.
To prevent equipment from catching on its buttons, a "fly front" flap concealed its button front, a shrewd design ploy that also prevented snagging in dense underbrush, whether walking or crawling. For the same reason, its flapped, bellows breast pockets touted hidden buttons.
Epaulets corralled shoulder hung equipment. Adjustable buckles at left and right sides cinched the waist-band tight at the hips, delivering added warmth and accentuating its masculine, broad-shouldered lines. "Action-back" pleats, one at each shoulder, extended to the waistband, assuring a slim and trim shape but generously providing ample room for unrestricted freedom of movement, even when firing a raised a rifle or pistol.
According to Paul Fussel’s Uniforms, "Eisenhower had a reputation among his troops as an eminently decent man, friendly and sympathetic," an admiration that Ike elevated even further, tells Fussel, by having the bravado to casually rest his hands inside his pocket and "violate the sacred Army injunction." That anecdote, tells Fussel, explains why Eisenhower refused to adorn his personal
Womens Jackets, Coats & Blazers: Womens Fashion ...
Feminine and sexy jackets in hot colors and styles. Find the latest fitted blazers, a denim jacket, a cropped jacket, a must-have ... Faux Fur Biker Jacket
Albino Cropped mink fur jacket | Browns Fashion
Buy Albino Cropped Mink Fur Jacket at Browns Fashion. Buy Albino online or through our London Boutique; the collection includes Dresses, Skirts, Tops and More
Accessories - Cropped Fur Jacket
style: Cropped Fur Jacket. PO Box 571 Christchurch New Zealand. Phone 64 3 365 0325 Email design@louiseanderson.co.nz. Please Note: Unfortunately we ...
Cropped jacket Women's Clothing at BizRate - Shop online for Clothing ...
Who says your super warm jacket can't be cute and cropped to fit perfect? Faux fur layers on the warmth. Shrunken wool double breasted jacket.
Marks and Spencer Cropped Faux Fur Jacket | Marks and Spencer, Julian ...
For a glamorous night out, slip into this luxurious, faux fur jacket. With a contemporary cropped cut and contrasting stripe effect this elegant piece will keep you snug and ...
Burberry Prorsum Cropped rabbit fur jacket | Browns Fashion
Buy Burberry Prorsum Cropped Rabbit Fur Jacket at Browns Fashion. Buy Burberry Prorsum online or at our London Boutique; the collection includes dresses, shoes, shirts, trousers ...
designer leather & fur - exclusive Designer Mode - mytheresa.com
Dark brown fox fur cropped jacket with loden epaulets.
Juicy Couture | Cropped faux-fur jacket | NET-A-PORTER.COM
Buy Juicy Couture Cropped faux-fur jacket online at NET-A-PORTER.COM. Next day delivery, free returns and beautiful packaging - get Juicy Couture's must-haves this season.
FOX FUR CROPPED JACKET - exclusive Designer Mode - mytheresa.com
You can buy FOX FUR CROPPED JACKET clothing jackets/blazers in the mytheresa.com online shop twenty four hours a day. Order FOX FUR CROPPED JACKET clothing jackets/blazers from ...
Cropped Leopard Faux Mink Fur Jacket ...
This glam topper is pure vintage inspiration from its wide collar to its 3/4 length sleeves. The shape is boxy, not fitted, so it does run a bit large.