the eXile - Other Shite

Issue #23/104, Nov 23 - Dec 7, 2000

Other Shite

The eile’s Third Reich Uniform of the Week!

Winter may be here in Moscow, but in the thousand-year Reich, at least, the sun never set on fashion. In stripes, boots, buttons and belts, the chosen children of the Paterland knew how to drive away the winter blues with three simple words: “We look great.”

In this issue, the eXile takes a closer look at one of the classics of National Socialist fashion-the summer uniform of the army Major of the General Staff. This subtle combination of gray, lavender and white was introduced in April, 1937 as a replacement for the earlier officer’s summer uniform, which incidentally continued to be worn for years alongside the new version, something of an anomaly in Nazi practice. Wearing this particular uniform was permitted only in certain specific occasions, and the officer often had to rely on his own discretion to decide which of those occasions were appropriate. But in general, they included:

a) parades;

b) day-to-day appearances at officers’ clubs and meetings;

c) official and family-related celebrations;

d) outdoor picnics;

e) at sporting events, taking place both in Germany and abroad.

Army officers of different ranks wore this remarkably sharp uniform, which featured a crisp white coat, knee-high boots, dress pants with lavender stripes, and white gloves. Rank-and-file officers, including the major, wore whitish-silver buttons, while generals and high-ranking party members buttons that were either gold-plated or simply gold-colored. For ease in laundering the coat, the officer could remove his bars and buttons. The latter feature was also useful as a security measure.

eXile fashion consultant and well-known Russian designer Slava Zaitsev comments on this “summer classic”:

“This is one of my favorites. The jacket is close-fitting, while the trousers are free and roomy. The white is cheerful and cheerfulness is contagious. The eagle is an ecologically positive symbol. The boots, knee-high in classic fashion, command the perfect combination of attention, respect and fear. One glance and you feel like running! The one thing I don’t like is the neck. It should be open. If I like you, why can’t I see your neck? I mean, what’ve you got in there?”