A Brief History of Khaki
Khaki, a staple in menswear for many years, found its origins in the mid 1800's in India. There are a couple of stories as to how it originated. One version is that soldiers deliberately discolored their uniforms with mud, dust, coffee, and even curry powder in what might be considered a go at camouflaging. The second version is that British Army officer Sir Harry Lumsden was looking for an alternative to his regulation trousers in order to deal with the heat. He turned to lighter and looser fitting bottoms that resembled pajamas and had them dyed with tea leaves, later realizing their camouflaging benefits. However it was not until the 1850's that the weaving of khaki fabric within the British Empire was established. A man by the name of John Haller introduced the first hand-looms to the region of Mangalore and it is to him that the invention of khaki dye is usually attributed.
Khaki did not make its move to the United States until 1898 during the Spanish-American war. Khakis were first adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1912 for the naval aviators uniform and later by submarine crews. They slowly made their way through the ranks until khakis became standard military issue.
Although khakis had their military origins, after the war there was a surplus of this fabric, and the cheap and plentiful stocks found a home with the everyday citizen. By the 1950's khakis were being worn by everyone. They have a blank canvas characteristic to them and can be worn to tinker with engines or smartened up to meet the needs of many more formal affairs.
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