Military Surplus: From Dim Warehouses to the Streetwear Spotlight
WHAT IS MILITARY SURPLUS
Military surplus is defined as clothing items and other army-related goods that are being sold to civilian population when an armed force of a given state are no longer in need of them.
The reason for reselling an army stock is usually related to an upgrade or sociopolitical changes as with fall of the Berlin wall and former Warsaw pact countries gaining independence. In case of an army stock clearance, military surplus items are sold in a large quantities for a decent price that makes them highly sought after because of their unparalleled price-quality ratio.
An overall built quality and a low-profile design have made military clothing popular among hiking and bushcraft enthusiasts as well as in urban streetwear fashion. The age of military surplus may vary greatly – there are items in the market from WW2, but some are not older than 10 years.
However, more often you will find surplus from late 80's, early 90's since at that time Europe was going through geopolitical transformations and as a result state armies were reformed and their old gear sold in large quantities for the civilian use.
MILITARY SURPLUS AS A STREETWEAR CHOICE
Nowadays military surplus clothing is gaining traction as a streetwear choice because of its practicality and rugged looks. Designed to endure a real-life combat settings, the material and sawing standards of surplus items are much higher than that of the fast fashion alternatives. The fact that military surplus is becoming a thing in the streetwear fashion is reflected by the attempts of high street brands to design military style clothing.
However, it is always a better idea to get the real thing instead of a trendy copy. Yes, authentic military surplus with its fifty shades of khaki may lack the colour diversity but it makes it up with the quality and a story behind it.
Nothing beats the raw beauty of a military parka, pants or shirt in a deadstock condition that's been deposited into army reserves some 30+ years ago. The details of military insignia, different cuts that vary from country to country is an exciting historical material to be explored while on the search for military surplus clothing.
HOW TO WEAR MILITARY SURPLUS?
The rule of thumb in wearing military surplus is that less is more. Having a camo military jacket, military pants, combat boots, hat and an army backpack may give the impression that you are heading to the military reenactment event or airsoft game. Instead you can pair military surplus items with civilian clothing to achieve that masculine down to earth streetwear effect without being too indulgent.
Chunky combat boots and an army jacket, for example, will work excellently by adding a touch of post-apocalyptic kind of vibe. The same goes with accessories – belts, hats and rucksacks will nicely complement any regular outfit. Feel free to experiment with daring army surplus pairings that reflect the mood of pandemic-ridden world with quarantine protocols and political instability.
MILITARY SURPLUS IN OUR SHOP
We've recently stocked our northerngrip.com shelves with high quality military surplus from French, Italian, British, German and Eastern European military stock mainly form circa 80's and 90's. Don't forget to check out our summer military surplus: British army button up shirts as well as Romanian, and Czechoslovakian slip shirts.
You will find military jackets, rucksacks, army berets, trench coats, boots and other exiting items that were made to endure the harsh reality of the war that luckily never was.
Ready to Rock Military? Check out our latest military gems HERE.