TRANSATLANTIC PARALLEL: ARMED BUT COOL

Today,Letitia Jett,  a femme d'un certain age , and I play a weekly game on our blogs. We share our views on our adopted countries, France for Letitia and The States for me, all the while comparing one and the other. We "come up" with a topic to "discuss" and we each publish our thoughts on the subject from our respective sides of the Ocean, never looking "at each other's sheet", so to speak.

There are some things we really love, others we miss. Some drive us nuts and sometimes we are very amused by something typical about our new homes. Whatever our point of view, we bring it to you on Mondays. This is what we interested us today...

 ARMEES MAIS STYLEES

Today is MEMORIAL DAY here in the United States. 

A time to remember the sacrifices, the courage, the sadness and the waste of very precious and often very young lives.

Others will commemorate this special day very fittingly with great pomp and circumstance, and they will do it much better than I ever could; 

With all due respect for this day and all it represents, what I want to talk about is a little more flippant; if some of you find this too casual please forgive me; it is not my intention to be insensitive; I would like to bring up the women in the armed forces and more particularly an aspect of their military lives: their clothing- could I say fashion?; well, their uniforms. 

All over the world, countries have allowed women into the ranks of their armies and these countries have had to come up with uniforms suited to the feminine shape. I am sure safety, practicality, comfort, conformity and cost have figured very high in the briefs put to those responsible for figuring out what would best be suited for military women. I would like to bring to you a panoply of what is gracing the camps posts and deployments here, there and everywhere in areas where women are serving in the world. If I may, I will also add a twist to this potentially impertinent subject by visiting countries other than the US and France. I will "digress" a little, and a little more and a little yet again.

FRANCE
A little style even here.

In Tchad the European forces issued these shorts and sleeveless tops to the French peace keepers. I wonder how many other nations have gone along with this cut. This could be the summer line at Bensimon.

This is practical and well suited but not a bad look at all on this Canine Unit officer. 

and this pilot is managing to look quite cool in this slim-cut one-piece overall.

A rolled-up sleeve, a nice belt, a hat worn with flair. Not bad for a regulation outfit.

USA

Professionally pragmatic always.

The US soldier here is ready for very dangerous situations so she cannot afford to worry about the cut of her shirt, needless to say. She somehow manages to be very pretty- Yes, I know, that's not exactly the point. Nonetheless... 

I guess it's the cap I am not too wild about. The shirt is large and shapeless but comfort rules in "the theater". And well it should.

No reason not to show legs when you are NOT in combat these girls seem to say.. That's what the word "parade" is all about I guess.

RUSSIA

CZECH REPUBLIC

The PR dept. went slightly overboard?

NORTH KOREA

Wow! Radio City Hall could be interested.

Some uniforms give away the nationality of the wearers without the need for reading their insignias.

PAKISTAN

IRAN

(armed police)

 ITALY

who else would wear a scarf this stylishly?

PAKISTAN

 no mystery there

RUSSIA

 very Gorky park

There are some lucky girls who are issued a uniform where the brief was not taken verbatim: uni: one- form: shape...quite the contrary, they wear something avec des formes-shapely.

BRITAIN

ISRAEL

These women could wear this in civilian life, not that they might wish to...but those hats?

And then there are the make-believe "armies" from the movies, the morale boosting USO performances and ubiquitous posters of WWII. 

More hotel than army.

Men's uniforms with skirts.

Even in French movies is the uniform an asset, sometimes.

French national icon BB looked very sexy in her uniform in the movie "Babette s'en va en guerre". I am willing to bet HER uniform was not standard issue...

If we are to discuss fashion in the military, we must mention the current military in fashion.

No one is remotely suggesting this would work in combat in the REAL military. I don't believe these cute fashions qualify:

not practical 

not cut to fit all

not cost effective 

yes, comfortable

but obviously NOT made for any kind of deployment! 

Unless your are on a secret mission to infiltrate the enemy like a modern-day Mata Hari perhaps...

TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SERVED OR ARE STILL SERVING SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE, UN GRAND MERCI.

I SINCERELY WISH THERE WAS NO NEED FOR YOU TO BE THERE. 

Please leave your comments, either below in the petits commentaires or at Letitia Jett's magnificent "parallel" post at a Femme d'un Certain Age . It's always so much fun to discover your reactions and ideas.

Au revoir.