peterx | 15 Aug 2016 4:42 a.m. PST |
What do you consider the least functional military uniform in history? Please include a photo, picture or image of the non-functional uniform. |
peterx | 15 Aug 2016 6:46 a.m. PST |
Some modern examples are: A) the Greek formal uniforms B) the Pakistani and Indian formal headwear for guard units. C) the Beefeaters D) the Swiss Guard at the Vatican E) North Korean women's uniforms with skirts. |
grtbrt | 15 Aug 2016 6:55 a.m. PST |
I think it odd that you are choosing ceremonial uniforms .They all have meaning to a specific date or event . Perhaps if you only included actual uniforms that saw service it would be a better poll. As it stands it is kind of pointless. Why not include the US army Old Guard or the Marine Corps Honor guard ? |
peterx | 15 Aug 2016 7:00 a.m. PST |
Why not? I was looking at medieval knights sabatons with the 1 to 2 foot long decorative toe extensions. Very disfunctional. |
Badgers | 15 Aug 2016 7:34 a.m. PST |
Not sure it's possible to answer the question as it stands. Least functional in which period? And for what purpose? There's a distinction that needs to be made between ceremonial uniform and combat uniform. (Oops grtbrt beat me to it.) |
peterx | 15 Aug 2016 7:46 a.m. PST |
Choose a period that interests you and choose a style, combat vs. ceremonial. Whatever floats your boat. |
Winston Smith | 15 Aug 2016 8:09 a.m. PST |
Zouaves are high on my list. |
Old Contemptibles | 15 Aug 2016 8:15 a.m. PST |
Which period? Ceremonial or dress uniforms should not count. Just combat uniforms. Not knowing the period I would say Napoleonic period Hussars. I would also say early WWI French Uniforms. The latter ones are not much better. Kilts? |
Hafen von Schlockenberg | 15 Aug 2016 8:50 a.m. PST |
1820's British cavalry? Far too lazy to look it up, but fellow in charge seems to have had a fetish for men in tight pants. Whether worn in the field, I don't know. But then,what field, in the 1820's? |
elsyrsyn | 15 Aug 2016 9:24 a.m. PST |
The US Navy blue digital camo BDUs come to mind. It's as if somebody said "we can't afford the fuel to search for sailors who fall overboard, so let's make SURE we can't see them so we don't have to bother." Doug |
wrgmr1 | 15 Aug 2016 9:40 a.m. PST |
The old Royal Navy blue uniform with white hat, collar, lanyard, silk, tight jersey and bell bottom trousers, which I wore for a number of years is on my list. |
javelin98 | 15 Aug 2016 9:42 a.m. PST |
The Swiss Guard is definitely high on that list. |
John the Greater | 15 Aug 2016 10:42 a.m. PST |
The Polish Winged Hussars. Cool? Yes. Practical? Not so much.
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David Manley | 15 Aug 2016 10:58 a.m. PST |
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Martin Rapier | 15 Aug 2016 11:18 a.m. PST |
Austrian Army, 1866. Greatcoats in the height of the Italian Summer, what a brilliant idea. Hussar uniforms seem rather practical, for the period. Certainly no less practical than all the stuff the other arms had to wear. 84 pattern DPM and 58 pattern webbing anyone? Great in sunshine, not so good in the rain. |
willthepiper | 15 Aug 2016 12:06 p.m. PST |
How about sending your army to invade Russia with summer uniforms. Because obviously all the soldiers will be home before winter arrives… |
willthepiper | 15 Aug 2016 1:21 p.m. PST |
In WWI, Canadian soldiers were sent to war wearing boots with cardboard soles which disintegrated during training on Salisbury Plain in the winter of 1914-15. These were replaced with British ammunition boots before the soldiers were sent to France, so might not count. |
piper909 | 15 Aug 2016 1:36 p.m. PST |
Kilts are no less practical than anything else, I submit, and their value on fighting esprit and unit cohesion/morale should not be underestimated. Roman and Greek armies marched and fought for centuries with bare knees. Don't be a barbarian, join a Highland regiment! |
vtsaogames | 15 Aug 2016 1:56 p.m. PST |
Right, civilized men wear skirts, barbarians wear trousers. |
Extrabio1947 | 15 Aug 2016 2:08 p.m. PST |
Any horse grenadier with a mitre. Seriously, how do you keep those things on while riding a trotting or galloping horse over rough terrain? And is it that important to look just a bit taller on horseback? |
emckinney | 15 Aug 2016 2:17 p.m. PST |
Iraqi Darth Vader helmets. |
Dogged | 15 Aug 2016 2:27 p.m. PST |
Terrement absolutely nailed it |
Old Contemptibles | 15 Aug 2016 2:35 p.m. PST |
Ditto on the Navy aquaflages. Bad idea. But they are going away. link |
phssthpok | 15 Aug 2016 2:40 p.m. PST |
Aquaflage! Dumbest idea since the neck stock. |
hurrahbro | 15 Aug 2016 2:40 p.m. PST |
Plenty of uniforms have bad features. Tall hats and leather neck stocks of the Napoleonic era. The tall hat was psychology, but it got out of hand. The Stock started as soft leather to protect the neck from the course wool of the jacket. Some idiot decided it should be stiff to hold the men's heads up straight. The platted hair pulled back like a Croydon facelift of the earlier era (allegedly pulled back so tight as to make blinking painful). Never understood that whole malarkey (fashion?) The Greek pompoms on their shoes is something else that any original practical use escapes me. |
Old Contemptibles | 15 Aug 2016 2:49 p.m. PST |
Those helmets the Austrians wore during the Napoleonic wars and the same for Bavaria during the FPW. |
Cyrus the Great | 15 Aug 2016 3:38 p.m. PST |
The secret service uniform under the Nixon presidency.
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charared | 15 Aug 2016 7:48 p.m. PST |
I Remember this BS!!! Man-O-Man… what were those uniform designers AND RMN "Thinking"!?! "Imperial Presidency"??? (If so… not even a "good" looking Uniform… Pseudo Kiwa Shako wif' eye-blocking peaks!… Austria/Hungary "White Target" Blouses!…) Ugh!!! Charlie |
Henry Martini | 15 Aug 2016 9:08 p.m. PST |
So much for Americans not understanding irony. |
goragrad | 15 Aug 2016 10:42 p.m. PST |
As to the Poles, there is the theory that in fighting steppe nomads the wings were intended to make it harder for the nomad to lasso the hussar. A common tactic. And otherwise, as with grenadier bearskins they add to the visual impact. |
Patrick R | 16 Aug 2016 5:13 a.m. PST |
This uniform is the most awesome "worst idea" someone ever had.
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Dynaman8789 | 16 Aug 2016 5:37 a.m. PST |
> E) North Korean women's uniforms with skirts. My guess is those "uniforms" performed their intended function at 110% efficiency. |
miniMo | 16 Aug 2016 1:22 p.m. PST |
US Air Service, WW1 service uniform with a high stiff collar that made it quite difficult to turn your head and look behind you. Occaisionally brass-hats would insist that aviators were supposed actually wear the fool thing while flying rather the soft turtle-necks they generally wore in the air.
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Mooseworks8 | 16 Aug 2016 5:48 p.m. PST |
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Rod I Robertson | 16 Aug 2016 7:12 p.m. PST |
Korean Honour Guard!
Cheers. Rod Robertson. |
Henry Martini | 16 Aug 2016 7:17 p.m. PST |
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ACWBill | 18 Aug 2016 6:28 a.m. PST |
BG's exhibit B may be the winner! |