When we think of military garb, our minds are understandably cast upon images of M-65, OG107 uniform, camo goods, and all manner of olive drab goodness. But throughout the early to mid-20th century, the U.S. military adopted denim as a workwear fabric, applying it to a range of uniforms across its forces.
In this two-part series, we’ll be focussing on how the U.S. military used denim in its uniforms. You can read about how the Navy incorporated denim into its dress in Part 1. In this piece, we’ll be covering how the U.S. Army used denim in its uniforms in the 20th Century.
Pre-WWI – Coast Artillery Corps.
Some incredible shots of U.S. Army members wearing the 1908 Denim Work Trousers via World War I Nerd on US Militaria Forum
Information on the earliest use of denim within the U.S. Army is harder to come by, because, unlike the Navy, the Army did not describe its full work/fatigue uniforms within its regulations. This continues until after WWII. It is also important to note that the term ‘denim’ was applied to both blue denim and brown twill fabrics in memoirs and data, so while we are focussing on blue denim uniforms, photographic evidence suggests that most, if not all, of the pattern discussed in this article, were also manufactured in brown denim twill which faded to a sandy tan.
During the mid-to-late 19th century, Army personnel doing chore work or manual labor would have been supplied with workwear like sack jackets, frocks, and other workwear suitable for more grubby work. Cotton duck was adopted in the late 19th century and sewn into chore coat styles, but let’s get onto the blue stuff.
The first use of denim in the U.S. Army can be traced back to 1908. In April of that year, the Army introduced a denim working uniform to the Coast Artillery Corps, a force responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense. The uniform consisted of:
- Pullover denim jumper with a 2-3 button placket, and three patch pockets – two at the hips and one on the left chest.
- Denim work trousers, reminiscent of late 19th Century Levi’s jeans but with patch large pockets. These had a regular-straight leg typical of the era, a cinch back, and suspender buttons.
- A soft-brimmed denim hat. This was a denim update on the brown twill hats that had been previously issued for chore work.
Image via AustionO on the US Militaria Forum
Image via AustionO on the US Militaria Forum. (See B & W image at the top of this section for shots of these being worn by personnel)
Image via AustionO on the US Militaria Forum
Before long, other forces that took part in manual labor, like the Signal Corps, began wearing blue denim work uniforms as well, and in June 1909, the uniform was allocated to all soldiers as a work/fatigue uniform.
A Signal Corps member wearing the 1908 Denim Work Jacket in 1918, via the US National Archives.
Colorized footage of a 1918 silent film that depicted the training of Coast Artillery Troops shows denim fatigues in action, with some older brown duck fatigues appearing to be used as well. Image via MyEasyFixx on Youtube.
This image shows German POWs wearing the aforementioned 1908/1910 pattern denim work jacket, painted with PW to mark their POW status. October 30, 1918.5×7 glass negative by Lewis Hine. Image via Shorpy.
1917: A Short-Lived Update to Working Uniforms
Photos showing the evolution of the Working Jumper, via the John Adam-Graf collection.
By 1917, World War 1 was in full swing and the blue denim working uniform had been issued to thousands of members of the U.S. Army. After keeping the pattern of Working Uniforms relatively untouched for almost a decade, the Army replaced the 1908/1910 Pattern Working Jumper with a Chore Coat-style pattern (still issued in blue denim) and replaced the 1908/1910 Working Trousers with ‘bib’ style overalls.
The 1917 Denim Working Jacket, via World War 1 Nerd on US Militaria Forum.
1917 Working Bib Overalls. Photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection
The 1918 Working Uniform
Illustrated evolution of the Working Jumper Pattern via World War 1 Nerd on the US Militaria Forum. Illustrations via the S. McGeorge collection.
Just one year later, the U.S. Arm returned to the pullover style for its Working Jumpers, producing a now-iconic pattern. However, the 1918 Pattern Working Jumper & Trousers were initially issued in brown/tan twill ‘denim’. This pattern was a square pullover style, with two roomy chest pockets sat either side of a deep button placket. It had a point collar, metal hardware, and adjustable cuffs.
Concrete reasons for returning to this style are unknown, but I imagine the full button placket on the 1917 chore-coat-style Working Jumper led to more snagging and more button losses. Pullover styles are also easier to tuck in, which seemed to be how folks liked to wear their Working Uniforms back then.
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1918 Patern Working Jumper in brown twill via Michael the Young AEF Guy on US Militaria Forum
A pair of 1918 Working Trousers via atb on the US Militaria Forum, manufactured in New York by Syndey L. Wise. It’s scary to think how rare pairs in this condition are.
An example of the Denim Working Hat which was used from 1919 well into WWII via IMA-USA.
M1940 – The Last Denim Working Uniform
An M1940 Coverall via The Major’s Tailor (left) & reproduction M1940 Trousers via Anatomica.
A year before the US entered WWII, it updated the Working Uniform pattern that had been in service for over 20 years. New Working Trouser and Coat silhouettes were introduced and prescribed to all personnel (except mechanics) for fatigue use.
The Working Jumper was changed to the Working Coat, Blue Denim, in 1940. Now generally referred to as the M1940 Denim Coat, this piece was made from 100% cotton blue denim, and had a five-button placket, two large patch pockets at the waist, and a point collar. The buttons used were made from sheet aluminum, each debossed with U.S. ARMY.
Coastal Artillery Corps wearing the M1940 Uniform via Last SStand on Zombie Island.
The decision to change from a pullover to a full-button coat was made after reports that the pullover styles were tearing down the middle, presumably from the bottom of the half-placket to the hem. It was decided that the pullover style was no longer suitable for work and thus the Working Coat was introduced.
Reproduction 1940 Working Trousers made by Anatomica. Image via Anatomica.
New Working Trousers were also prescribed as part of the new 1940 Working Uniform. Patterned in 1937 (spec 6-124B), the Working Trousers issued in 1940 were made of the same denim as the Working Coat. This pattern swapped large patch pockets from the 1919 uniform for slash pockets at the hips and also included two open patch pockets on the seat, and a small ‘watch pocket’ above the right slash pocket (similar to a Coin Pocket). Why the trouser pattern was changed remains unclear. Quartermaster memos from the time cite wearability and manufacturing.
Who Made U.S. Army Denim?
A M1940 Coverall produced by Blue Bell-Globe Co. (Pre-Wrangler) via US Militaria Forum.
Throughout the 1920 and 1930s, dozens of different manufacturers made denim goods for the U.S. Army. The most notable of which in terms of modern-day notoriety, though, was what we now know as Wrangler, In 1936, The Blue Bell Overall Company, of Greensboro, North Carolina merged with the Globe Superior corporation. The newly merged Blue Bell Globe Mfg. Co. then acquired two other workwear-manufacturing rivals, the HD Bob Co. in 1940, and then Casey Jones Co. of Baltimore in 1943 (The Casey Jones Company was occasionally branded as ‘Wrangler‘, hence Blue Bell’s future name change). This led to Blue Bell Inc. manufacturing millions upon millions of military workwear throughout WWII and beyond.
Denim Out, HBT In
Image via ELMC Blog.
After the USA officially entered WWII in 1941, it looked to update its uniforms for the tropical climes of the Far East and Southeast Asia. The U.S. Army considered HBT as a more suitable fabric for these Eastern theatres, thus introducing new Working Uniforms in 1941. Denim Working Uniforms can still be seen from time to time in archive images from the mid-t0-late stages of WWII, but these are most likely leftover stock that was provided to personnel during HBT shortages.
Worthwhile Reproductions
1919/1937 Pattern Denim Jumpers
Warehouse & Co.
Warehouse & Co Lot. 2187 US Army Denim Pullover Indigo, available at Clutch Cafe for $265.
Anatomica
US Army Pullover, $235 from Anatomica.
Fullcount (Not a reproduction)
Full Count US Army Pullover Shirt Denimm, available at Clutch Cafe for $265.
1919 Pattern Trousers
Buzz Rickson’s
Buzz Rickson’s Trousers Working Denim, BR41106, available for $148 from Hinoya.
1940 Pattern Working Trousers
Anatomica
Anatomica US Army 1940 Denim Pants Indigo, available for $360 from Clutch Cafe.
1940 Working Coat
Anatomica
Anatomica US Army 1940 Denim Jacket Indigo, available for $440 from Clutch Cafe.
Denim Army Hat
Warehouse & Co.
Lot 5200 Denim Army Hat, available for $66 from Hinoya.
Gallery
A range of workwear being worn, WWI era, including Denim Working Pants and the 1908 Working Jacket Pattern (center) image via World War 1 Nerd on US Militaria Forum.
A heavily worn and repaired Denim Working Jumper in the 1919 pattern via Second Sunrise.
What look to be 1908/1910 Working Trousers in Blue Denim, via the John Adam-Graf collection
1918 Bib-style overalls can be seen in the image on the right. Image via World War 1 nerd on Us Militaria Forum.
A Pre-WWI Brown Twill Army Hat via The Major’s Tailor.
Bib overalls being worn in late 1917/early 198, image via Horses & Mules on Facebook.
Denim ‘Barracks Bags’ were also issued in the late 1930s and in the early stages of the U.S.A.’s involvement in WWII. Image via Lomax Militaria.
American Soldier wearing Denim Working uniform in the late 1930s via Freightwaves
A vintage Working Jumper via World War 1 Nerd on US Militaria Forum.
A pair of Air Service ground crew helping the pilot start his biplane’s engine. One is preparing to give the plane’s prop a spin and the other will yank him out of the way of the spinning prop. Man on left is wearing the 1917 Pattern Working Jacket. image via World War 1 Nerd on US Militaria Forum.
Image via Mister Freedom
Image via Mister Freedom
Image via Mister Freedom
Lead image via Freightwaves & the U.S. Amy Photo Album
* A huge thanks goes out to US Militaria Forum, specifically its user, World War 1 Nerd, whose extensive research into the fatigue and denim uniforms pre and during WWI formed a large part of my own research.
* Please be aware that this article is not exhaustive, and there may/will have been other denim articles issued to personnel during both WW1 and WW2. If you want further information on a specific item, please message me on the H+ community discord and I will use my resources to find information you may require.
Evolution of the Working Trousers, via World War 1 Nerd on the US Militaria Forum. Illustrations via the S. McGeorge collection.
Trousers were issued in the same brown fabric, but as the above image shows and states, suspender buttons were omitted from the pattern.
Hats were also issued in brown denim as part of the 1918 Working Uniform. Whilst this style of the hat had been prevalent throughout WWI, this style is perhaps the biggest precursor to the Daisy Mae, the denim version of this hat which was issued just a year later.
A Brown Denim Hat circa 1918, manufactured by ‘The Hills Co.” Amherst, Mass. Images via Ima-USA
1919 – Back in Blue & Hello, Daisy
Images via The Major’s Tailor.
In 1919, the 1918 Working Uniform received a denim update. This simply meant that the 1918 patterns were produced in denim, and issued across the U.S. Army when stocks of the brown denim garb were depleted.
This iconic uniform marched on through the 30s and until America’s involvement in WWII. You will see reproductions of this uniform, especially the jacket, with names referring to years like 1933 and 1937, but in truth, the uniform went relatively unchanged until 1940. When a brand like Buzz Rickson’s or Anatomica puts a year in the name, it is most likely that this just refers to the year their source garment was made. There are no significant updates to this uniform throughout the 30s, except some changes to pocket dimensions on the trousers in 1937.
A reproduction of the 1919 Working Trousers via Online Militaria.
This uniform saw the Denim Hat reissued, a piece of workwear that would continue to be prescribed in the U.S. Army for years. This denim bucket hat became affectionately known as the Daisy Mae, after a character in the satirical comic strip, Li’l Abner for some reason. Originals of these hats are most commonly seen in their 1937 specification, which doesn’t really differ all that much from the 1919 specs.