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Planet Money

Strange threadfellows: How the U.S. military shaped what we all wear

December 10, 2025 • 36m

Summary

⏱️ 10 min read

Overview

Planet Money explores how the U.S. military has profoundly shaped civilian fashion and outdoor gear, from the invention of the layering system in WWII to today's gear companies that double as military contractors. The episode traces a fascinating economic and cultural history from post-war army surplus stores to modern outdoor brands like Arc'teryx and Outdoor Research that openly serve both hikers and soldiers.

The Military Origins of Modern Clothing

Fashion reporter Avery Truffleman takes a walk through Soho, revealing how nearly every piece of civilian clothing has military DNA. From Velcro straps to performance fabrics to the ubiquitous field jacket, military innovation has touched almost everything we wear. What seems like counter-culture style or trendy outdoor gear actually originated in government-funded labs designed to keep soldiers warm and dry in extreme conditions.

  • Alpha Industries, now a trendy streetwear brand, was originally a military supplier with storefronts decorated with ammo cans
  • Synthetic down insulation was pioneered by the military and commercialized through Primaloft and L.L. Bean
  • Military influence extends to field jackets, khaki pants, beanie caps, layering systems, and performance fabrics
" It's everything. It's everything you wear. It's literally everything you're wearing, Alexi. It's your jacket. It's your khaki pants. It's your beanie cap. It's the layers. It's everything you're wearing. "
" You can't unsee it once you start seeing it. "

WWII Innovation: How the Quartermaster Corps Invented Layering

During World War II, Harvard business professor George Dorio helped organize a scientific effort to outfit millions of soldiers for combat across vastly different climates. The Quartermaster Corps created laboratories, recruited mountaineers and outdoor experts, and developed a copper mannequin named Chauncey to test gear. This research led to the revolutionary M43 field jacket and the systematic concept of layering—now ubiquitous but then cutting-edge technology.

  • George Dorio, founder of venture capital, led the Quartermaster Corps' scientific approach to military clothing design
  • The Corps created testing labs with copper mannequins called Chauncey to measure thermal performance of different jacket designs
  • The M43 field jacket system introduced modular layering that could adapt from tropical to alpine conditions
  • The military mass-produced tons of outdoor gear in preparation for a prolonged Pacific war that ended abruptly with atomic bombs
" They ran these test expeditions to Alaska. At one point the Quartermaster Corps designs a copper mannequin they can use to test out how cold or wet the soldiers might get when subjected to different kinds of conditions. They named the mannequin Chauncey. "

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