Where does your field jacket actually come from? Were WWII soldiers the original hypebeasts? What is the M-43 jacket?
Sol and Michael sit down with Avery Trufelman, host of Articles of Interest and 99% Invisible veteran, to break down the military origins of menswear and why everyone's suddenly obsessed with gorpcore. The trio dive deep into the history of the M-65 field jacket, how World War II military surplus shaped American fashion, the invention of layering (yes, someone had to invent it), why Special Forces operators became fashion influencers, and the complicated ethics of wearing military aesthetics as civilians. Further, Avery shares insights from her latest podcast season "Gear," explaining the connection between outdoor brands and military contracts, the decline of army surplus stores, why The Row is making combat boots now, and how Buck Mason's militaria collection tells the story of American style. They also discuss Vivienne Westwood's punk legacy, the upcoming Antwerp Six book, athleisure as health signifier, Rick Owens' influence on tactical fashion, women's gear and the "pink it and shrink it" problem, plus whether military fashion makes you complicit in something larger. Other topics include: the Parsons jacket and Supreme-style military drops, George Doria inventing venture capital AND the field jacket, challenge coins and PowerPoint patch design, Americana Pipe Dream's hunt for rare surplus, Cher and the Armenian diaspora (a future episode?), and why fashion never really goes away — it just cycles back.
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We hope you enjoy just as much as we did recording!
Lots of love!
Sol
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Episode Tags: Avery Trufelman, Articles of Interest, military fashion, field jacket history, M-65 jacket, gorpcore 2025, menswear history, military surplus, tactical fashion, outdoor gear fashion, American style origins, 99% Invisible, fashion podcast, cargo pants history, Special Forces fashion, athleisure, Rick Owens menswear, The Row combat boots, Vivienne Westwood, punk fashion origins, Antwerp Six, Buck Mason, vintage military clothing, workwear fashion, heritage menswear, Americana Pipe Dream, OG-107 pants, archival fashion, techwear, Stone Island, CP Company, Helmut Lang, fashion trend forecasting, militaria collection, Patagonia military, Arc'teryx fashion, North Face history, functional fashion 2026
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.
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