Hero Piece: Military Green Pants
Many origins in fashion are taken from uniform clothing- so it's not a total surprise one of those inspired pieces is a "hero" in my wardrobe. I present my case for the military green pant.
Jack (husband) and I talk often about clothing and style, like me he enjoys a little fashion history and romanticizing over style icons of the past decades (his: Harrison ford, Steve McQueen/ mine: CBK, Jane Birkin). When we’re talking about these iconic dressers and the reference points we love about their style, it often turns into conversation about the designers and brands they would wear and construction of clothing in the past- what were those designers reference points? Which tends to, majority of the time, turn to a conversation of how they were inspired by uniforms. Since the industrial age (and a little before), we have been going through evolutions of uniforms from military to medical to pumping gas- there has been an iteration of a “uniform” for most everything. It takes up so much of the history of the modern age that it’s no wonder designers tend to pull so much inspiration from it. My earliest fashion memories around uniform-inspired dressing are very military-centric. In the early 00’s I remember these fatigue style blazer/jackets women would wear and I also remember the (slightly less stylish) camo cargo shorts my brother and other boys would wear to school. It was very much a “thing”. The funny thing about looking back at those memories, is that while it was a “thing” of the moment, it never really went away- it just evolved (as much of fashion tends to do now).
As I have really started coming in to my own style and seeing what I gravitate towards and what I am most comfortable in, there has been a singular type of pant in recent years that has subtly stayed the course in my wardrobe. That pant is a pair of military green pants from MOTHER that I think (?) I got in 2017- 7 years ago! In 2017 I was under a year out of college and had started to realize that my wardrobe was not 100% “me” - it was a conglomeration of things that felt relevant but were trendy, a few things I did like and was comfortable in, and work clothes that I chose with a narrow lens of what I thought work clothes should be. During that time the military green pants found their way into my wardrobe and while for the first several years they were not my most worn piece- they have become a pant I can’t stop grabbing over past 2 years (funny how that works). I was initially drawn to them because of how well they fit- the side tabs were a cool touch and the wide leg, at the time in 2017, was a whole new silhouette of pants for me. Fast forward to now and I love them for 100+ more reasons than just those initial thoughts. They have become part of my “uniform”- a pant that I can pull on for work and feel comfortable doing my job in (also stylish, just as important).
Jeans are such a default for me, and many of you as well I’m sure, so to have a break in the continual styling of another pair of jeans is fantastic and feels fresh by comparison! When helping clients and even talking to friends, I often get the question “what pants can I wear casually for day time, that aren’t jeans? I get tired of wearing jeans always!” and I often reference a green military pant as a perfect solution. For you all today, I have styled some looks that I could have thrown on jeans with, but instead styled with my green pants- you’ll see how the color works with so much and offers a great contrast as well, altogether making me feel a little more styled than I would with just jeans.
Had to start with one of my FAVORITE color combinations, red/orange with military green is *chefs kiss* to me. The stark contrast in tone and the sheer fact that in the history of military green as a uniform it was likely not put with vibrant colors like this ( a real evolution for the style)- is why I love it. You also will see me all summer long in these Ann Mashburn Studded Sandals- I believe a co-worker referred to this specific shoe as my “roman empire” (ha clever!!).
I really honestly most often wear the pants with a button down shirt- that’s “the uniform” and its more often than not a crisp white or blue stripe, like above. I love that its a little loose on loose look, but the tailoring of the shirt keeps it from looking sloppy. The kitten heels are a less obvious shoe choice, but are a favorite to wear with the pants. For those who want an updated “everyday” look that doesn't involve denim- I would reference these pieces together: Button down shirt (a little over-sized), military green pants, kitten heels, structured leather bag: done!
Flipping the above “formula” to more of a night out look. A sheer black top and chunky clog sandals are the other version of the previous look. Where the kitten heels were the “dainty” contrast piece before, its now the sheer, delicate top. The clogs are now the more grounded piece, and the crochet pouch is the textural detail to bring it all together.
Okay really can’t wait to take this look for a spin soon! I’m all here for the return of the tube top, have always loved a strapless moment. If that’s not your jam, a rubbed tank top would work just as well for this outfit. I feel like this look as a whole is mixing a few vibes together to make something new. The structured handbag, cat eye sunglasses, and little cardigan over the shoulders all belong to the same “family” and the pants, scrunched tube top and clog sandals are their own “family”- theres an even amount of each vibe which helps to mesh the two together well. Classic with a little twist. Imagine the difference between wearing this with jeans vs. the military pants- way better with these!
The military pants with a crochet top are definitely leaning into some late 60’s/ early 70’s style inspo which I love and often reference. The green pants help take the crochet top up a notch, compared to styling it with jeans-which would be a totally adequate look (and a way in which I will wear it at some point) but not as “exciting” as it looks with the green pants. The top is doing all the talking here so I didn’t think my accessories needed to do much so I kept it simple with chocolate brown leather strappy sandals (another Ann Mashburn fave) and croc embossed handbag (thank you MC!)
For those loving the crochet, but wanting something a little more “every day” - I give you the above. A crochet tee, with a pop of my favorite contrast color (just love red/orange). I wanted to keep the outfit very low-key with Bass Weejuns and a structured handbag. Voila- crochet for day!
I hope this helps any of you who are in a styling rut with pants and looking for something outside the realm of denim. It’s just as easy, goes with just as much, and can make your styling look a few points better. I rest my case!
Some cute pairs of military green pants you can snag for yourself: The long over-sized pair , The fitted “kicky” pair , The easy straight leg , The vintage pair
xx ,
Taylor