Does your past or current military experience influence your civvy dressing style?

Like most able bodied males in Singapore I was enlisted at 18. We have to serve 2.5 years of full time national service and thereupon serve 10-13 years of military reserve duty. I finished my military obligations last year at age 39 as a Company Sergeant Major (CSM) in an infantry regiment.

I may not admit to it readily but I think my military experience has influenced my way of dressing. No, I do not mean appropriating camo or cargo in my daily civvy style but the genial OCD-ness about fit, fabric and appropriateness of dress to different occasions. As a CSM I had to enforce discipline and that includes my men's turnout. Obviously, there were various dress codes for parade, field training, etc.

I seem to have carried this habit or shoud I say, the army has influenced my civvy dress sense. I'm glad and sometimes irritated by it.

If time permits, I would like to hear from the rest of you if you have similar thoughts or experiences based on your past or current military experiences.

P.S. You do not have to give your actual unit or whatever you do in specific. I certainly won't.

Boy, a styleforummer who is also anal retentive and in the military. Your men must be real glad to see you leave the service.

I am in the military in the U.S. and until recently it has been the exact opposite for me. I have to wear the same uniform daily, clean and unsoiled, and would look forward to coming home and not having to meet a standard. Throwing on something without having to be inspected was a stress reliever for me.

Originally Posted by upnorth

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Boy, a styleforummer who is also anal retentive and in the military. Your men must be real glad to see you leave the service.

By way of conditioning most Singaporeans are anal retentive. Thank you for your prompt and witty reposte.

What happens in the army, stays in the army!

I was not in the army unless bell ringing at the mall for the Salvation Army counts but come to think of it I didn't do that either. However, I am in possession of a WWI USA wool greatcoat which fits and feels like no other and I get what you mean. I am slim and had always worn loose stuff until I got that coat which did influence my dress in other areas. Seriously. I also salute a lot more now.

My military service has influenced the way I dress. I iron my tshirts, I iron my shorts, etc... Nothing can be wrinkled. You develop a certain standard of symmetry as well. Everything must be even... and a loose thread is cause for panic. I held my appearance in uniform to a higher standard than most others... I was proud of it. It often caused people from a distance to salute me thinking I was an officer or stand at parade rest thinking I was a senior NCO. I enjoyed that But, yes, I don't see how anyone who took their military service and appearance seriously could not have it carry over to their civilian appearance.

The army has destroyed my senses! I still want to pull people up on small infractions with their dress and bearing not that I ever did that when I was in.
So many many people do not connect how you present yourself clean shaven and well dressed for work daily actually enhances your prospects dramatically and gets you taken seriously.
There are a lot of civies who wo have it sorted too though. As for the wearing camo thing I never have and probably never will... it would result in relentless mocking if you were wearing 'fashion' cams on weekends.

Big time, atleast in my case. I find NCOs have the best dress and deportment. Part of their culture. The RSM is responsible for the dress of NCMs of the regiment, so they need to lead from the front. Officers are generally bags of hammers, exceptions of course, myself being one.

I iron absolutely everything and I polish my shoes regularly.

I'm in a military boarding school and after a year I've stopped dressing like a thug and I get unbelievably irritated when people have really bad creases. Or when I see metalheads wear combat trousers in public.

I find extremely hard not to spit-shine black shoes without brogeuing.