7 ICONIC Fashion Trends That Are Surprisingly MILITARY in Origin

All right, gents, pop quiz. Have you ever heard of a bloodshed? And, no, I’m not talking

about some type of cardiovascular disease. No, what I’m referring to are cloth patches

that were sewn inside flight jackets that were made famous by the flying tigers during

World War II. [Music]

Now, if you know your military history, you remember the Flying Tigers were a volunteer

American group that operated from 1941 to 1942 and opposed the Japanese flying under

the flag of the Republic of China Air Force. Now, the pilots came from the United States Army

Air Corps, Navy, and Marine Corps and pretty much none of them spoke Chinese, so there is

going to be an issue if they were shot down over China how to communicate that, yeah, I’m fighting

for you guys and you need to get me to safety. So, to deal with this issue, they stole a page

from the playbook of the Royal Air Force from World War I, who used what was called

ransom notes for the first time. And that’s where a pilot is flying over

an area where they don’t speak the language would have notes that promise a reward, promise a gift

in kind if you got me the pilot to a safe haven. In World War II they became known as bloodsheds

and the ones worn by the Flying Tigers actually had in Chinese on the inside of the jacket,

this is an American fighting for the Chinese, make sure to see him to a safe haven. And if

you do this, you will be rewarded. Now, as World War II expanded those

sheets were eventually written in over 50 languages, used in France around the world.

And they continue to be used throughout the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War.

Now, you may be thinking, okay, that sounds good in theory, but were they actually used? Guys,

65,000 sheets were actually paid in and used anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks. But, get this,

so there was a North Korean fisherman who during the Korean War actually helped get an American

B-29 pilot back through enemy lines. His son was awarded and this is with

interest in 1993, $100,000 for what his father did to save that American.

So, what’s this got to do with fashion? Because it speaks the legendary status of the A-2 leather

bomber jacket and the MA-1 flight jacket. Anytime Hollywood wants to portray an actor

as being strong and adventurous, they’re going to put him in a leather flight jacket.

If you personally just want a functional and good looking jacket, then go with an MA-1 flight coat.

And beyond the bloodshed, flight jackets were also pioneering in their use

of the new materials. At the time, they were using a fire resistant polyester type material

that was inexpensive to make. And to this day, we’re seeing used in jackets around the world.

In addition, you could turn the jacket inside out. Inside the jacket,

you have a bright orange. And we see this reversible clothing all over the place.

Why did they use this in the military? Because if you’re a down pilot and that helicopter is coming

in to save you, you want to be spotted whether you’re in the water, whether you are in a dry

land, you don’t want to wear anything camouflage, so you turn in that jacket inside out, so that

you can be spotted by search air and rescue. Now, today’s video, gents is brought to you by my

friends over at 5.11 Tactical. And I have to say that they have done an amazing job bringing style

to tactical clothing. I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but think about James Bond,