100 Objects #17: M43 Field Jacket
Summary
Host Roman Mars and guest Avery Trufelman explore the history of the M-43 field jacket, tracing its scientific development by George Dorr to its cultural evolution. They discuss the conflict between Dorr’s functional design and General Littlejohn’s preference for the formal ETO jacket, which caused a "cold weather crisis" in WWII. The episode details how surplus stores democratized military fashion, leading to the birth of Banana Republic and the jacket’s transformation into a symbol of anti-war protest and modern outdoor style.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: AT&T Business and Indeed
The horrors of WWI trench warfare and wool coats
The need for a new military jacket system
History of copying military fashion from superpowers
The impractical Parsons jacket and division chaos
George Doria and the scientific approach to clothing
Testing jackets with the copper mannequin Chauncey
The M43 jacket: design and layering system
General Littlejohn and the ETO jacket alternative
Littlejohn's resistance to the M43 rollout
Historian Joshua Kerner uncovers the M43 delay
Late arrival of M43s and public outrage
Littlejohn escapes blame due to Eisenhower's support
Post-war surplus stores and the birth of menswear
Sponsors: Claude AI and Article Furniture
Sponsor: PNC Bank and the modern surplus pipeline
Vietnam era: Field jackets as anti-war symbols
Field jackets become high fashion and punk style
The origin story of Banana Republic
The field jacket's legacy in modern outdoor gear
Reflections on Doria's legacy and American identity
Credits and Sponsor: Mazda
Sponsor: UBS Financial Services
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