Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Polos & Khakis & the Uniform of the American Hero
Does this picture bother you?
American guys in polos and khakis, getting an award from the French president. They’re dressed for golf; he’s dressed for a formal occasion. Doesn’t bother me, really, but I’m not sure I’d make a big style thing about it. From the Washington Post:
It is rare when a polo shirt and a pair of khakis make such a graceful statement about style. But as worn by the three young American men who foiled an alleged terrorist attack, the informal uniform of vacationers and Friday businessmen never looked more elegant.
But then, maybe we should take patriotism from unlikely places wherever we can find it:
The trio of friends, however, wore flat-front khakis and polo shirts in green, red and gray. As a group, they looked tidy but informal. Young but polished. Their clothes said so much about happenstance and understatement, which in turn spoke eloquently about what unfolded on the train and how they have responded to it. These are the clothes of a casual holiday, not one focused on fancy dinners, formal gatherings or a bit of business on the side. They are clothes that tend to pinpoint Americans in a crowd: tourist fare that is often amiably mocked, sometimes derided. They are the sort of ensembles that young men wear when they are expected to dress up but can’t really see themselves putting on a suit because, really, is all that fuss necessary?
And what I love about this story is that it’s sort of the reverse of what usually happens, which is that as we learn more about this or that “hero” of the moment, the glitter turns to tarnish. These dudes just keep getting more bro awesome:
As [French President François] Hollande noted in his remarks, “There were over 500 passengers on that train. Ayoub el-Khazzani possessed over 300 bullets. And we realize now how close we were to a tragedy and a massacre.” But they have not thrown their shoulders back and thrust their chests out. They have simply absorbed it all with a slight hint of wonder.
Plus, they’re clearly all three light packers:
One can also imagine that a group of young men, sightseeing through Europe, wouldn’t be bothered with packing a suit or a sports jacket, a dress shirt or a tie. At a news conference Sunday at the ambassador’s residence, they were again informally dressed — in a different set of polo shirts. Indeed, it appears that they mostly just packed stacks of polo shirts.
So, maybe we should make a big Style Section thing about these guys. Simple, clean, efficient — they look nice and young and respectable. They pack light but can look presentable at the Élysée Palace. And if they happen upon a terrorist on a train, they’ll beat him senseless.
Were I in the men’s fashion business — which is to say, the polos and khakis business — these are exactly the kinds of guys I’d want wearing my clothes.
Published in Culture
Passaic, actually. Family moved to Newark when she was 3.
Rob, the picture doesn’t bother me, it is The Washington Post that bothers me. What a moronic excuse of a news story.
The bravery of these young men is no fashion statement. It is about character, period.
They are real men, a necessary component of a functional society. Protectors. Bet they didn’t play with dolls as youths. Who cares what they were wearing! Bring on the “unlikes again!
This is actually a very good point. I have been frustrated at the “hide among the civilians” training offered to military members for twenty years.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t trust most military people I know with a sidearm in a tight spot, but I assume it’s way above average. Well, it’s tricky.
In my personal opinion, the right answer is to swarm the attacker at the first sign of trouble, which seems to be what happened here, and worked quite well, all things considered.
CRITICAL CULTURAL CONSERVATIVE POINT HERE:
The public recognition is not for them. It is for us. It is how we steer society by uplifting those whom we find meritorious. Frankly, it would be inappropriate of them to decline. It’s not their choice within good manners or even acceptable behavior.
Finally, these men are dressed in what the military calls “appropriate civilian attire”, and this is a requirement for servicemembers on liberty or on leave. This policy is badly frayed and in need of reinforcement. These guys are living it.
Folks this young, tractor-beamed out of real life into the military, might not have worn a suit outside of an Aunt’s wedding or some thing.
You’d bet that, why? Be specific.
And anyone that’s ever worn the uniform can tell you there is no “private side” of your life when you’re active duty. There are simply times when you are in uniform and times when you are not. Your service owns you, and that governs your conduct on and off duty. You’re always expected to govern yourself accordingly. Try telling your CO that it’s none of the Army’s business when he finds out you were arrested for a bar fight on “your time”. You are always… always a representative of your service.
See comment #64.
so, polo shirts may not have much of a French pedigree… but Claire, you’ve lived in the UK, you may recall a certain brand of polos that are almost iconically British: http://www.fredperry.us/shop/the-fred-perry-shirt
Let’s get serious here, for a minute:
What does Trump think about the polo shirts?
What does Claire think about what Trump thinks about the polo shirts? ;-)
If I were one of them, I would have at least tried to leverage my new stardom for a free suit at Dior or Hermes to dress for the occasion.
I am sure there were offers but I bet they turned them down.
Scanned through comments pretty quickly, so if someone else mentioned this already, I apologize, but as I saw reported, the person who approached the gunman first and was shot in the neck was a man originally from Virginia, teaching in France. (In response to Claire’s comment #14.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11819423/Revealed-The-mystery-man-who-tackled-AK-47-assault-rifle-from-train-gunman.html
Two of the men are in the U.S. Military, one full-time, and the other probably part-time (though you can be full-time in the National Guard).
I’ve noticed that the U.S. military, with the possible exception of the Marine Corps, are getting more informal. I live near both Army and Air Force bases, and occasionally I’ll read in the paper about a major change of command. Pictures of the event show soldiers/airmen dressed in fatigues.
In addition, I’ve seen military provided color guards (local sporting and other events) also dressed in fatigues.
In doing this, the military is only reflecting the broader culture.
Well said.
I wonder if in their rough and tumble games as lads they ever dreamed that they would do something like this?
And that is why they are the finest fighting force in the world! Modest and humble; heroic, but not admitting they are heroes. Just doing their duty.
Then I guess Hillary was well ahead of her time. In his book, Dereliction of Duty, Buzz Patterson reported that due to her loathing of the military, she banned military uniforms in the White House, except for ceremonial duties. She demanded…polo shirts and khakis.
They certainly wouldn’t have excluded it, as I’m sure many offspring would today. The prevalent Progressive world view today medicates and condemns all this aggressiveness in boys as an impediment to cooperation and peeeeace.
These young men look great! They are on vacation. And they pull off the American hero act with ease. Bravo!
Our son is also in the USAF and at the same rank as Airman First Class Spencer Stone. It is no surprise at all that these fellows aren’t wearing suits. I would be surprised if any of them owned a suit and more so if he carried it on vacation.
My only wonder was how a man on active duty could be sporting a beard. Checking with our son the Air Force regulations haven’t relaxed that much. All the same these guys are just badass!
The discussion reminded me of this reddit post from the thick of the Occupy Wall Street business. “Cop camouflage” is my favorite term for the polo-and-khakis look.
That’s so funny – – I’d assumed he was the civilian in the first shot I saw of the 3 of them for exactly that reason, then when I discovered he was one of the military guys, my next thought was “so, how LONG was this vacation, exactly?”
I believe he is the non-military friend of the other two guys.
You’ll have to get confirmation of this, as I got it secondhand, but I’ve been told that US ground forces in Afghanistan are encouraged to grow beards because the local men think shaving is feminine, and they want to gain the respect of tradition-based Afghan culture for our presence. I’ve also seen pics of active duty women wearing head coverings with their uniforms, so that explanation makes some sense. Virtually every photo I’ve seen of the special ops types that have to go out and live in the field with the local men has them with beards, and often with traditional men’s Afghan head coverings.
Oh, and one other possible explanation: the guy with the beard is black. When I was in the Navy, I found that the black guys often had skin issues with shaving far more often than white sailors. Very few of my command’s black guys shaved with a razor. Most of them used a depilatory cream marketed for black men… sold in the ship’s store… and simply scraped off their beard with a butter knife while the white guys were using razors and foam. One of our black petty officers had a medical exemption due to skin issues, and was allowed to maintain a short beard on those grounds, though well groomed. Could be that kind of issue here for that young man as well.
Maybe I’ve missed it, but has Obama even acknowledged what these three brave Americans did?
Not that I’ve heard, but I haven’t search for anything “obama.”
Like everything else he commemorates, the official photo/tweet/Facebook post would have his picture as the focus. Remember the Apollo 11 anniversary graphic? Not the astronauts themselves, not the moon, not the spacecraft… but a pic of Obama contemplating the moon.
He learned well. As Stalin said when he had posters of Lenin removed from Moscow, “There can be only one sun in the sky”.
I searched and this is all I found from the WSJ:
In a statement, the White House said President Barack Obama expressed gratitude for the courage and quick thinking of several passengers, including U.S. service members, who subdued the attacker. “While the investigation into the attack is in its early stages, it is clear that their heroic actions may have prevented a far worse tragedy.”
See #82.
Ah. I was still going on initial reports that he was military. He was just visiting his military friends and got caught in it. Hell of a vacation.
What is the moderns persons obsession with boring suits. I mean does it hurt to actual have some color in your dress wardrobe. I am sorry but a bright well tailored Polo shirt and Kayak looks better on most young men than your average boring business suit.
I hate modern men’s formal dress fashion (at least what is considered acceptable in polite society). It all looks the same and is boring with a few exceptions. That is one area of culture I wish the English speaking world did not win. I can’t believe I am saying this but I actually wish the French would of decimate the English on this. Now the French have capitulate and dress what is a through and through a English evolution of men’s fashion.