Soldier's new uniform is a 'fashion faux pas'

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(Free-Press-Release.com) January 2, 2012 -- When the Ministry of Defence introduced new combat fatigues for troops in Afghanistan it was hoped they would be welcomed for providing more comfort under body armour and creating better camouflage.

The new Multi Terrain Pattern uniform has been rounded upon for being ill fitting, poorly designed and made of poor material.

The criticism is an embarrassment for the Ministry of Defence which has spent £40 million to rapidly get the kit into frontline service.

It was rushed into service across the Army in the last year to assist troops in Helmand, making it safer and easier on patrols. It will eventually be issued to all 100,000 soldiers in the Army.

But the condemnation has come to a head with a barrage of complaints sent by men to Soldier, the Army's in-house magazine.

"I could not help but think it looked like something from Toys R Us," wrote Chrissy Rodgers of 38 Brigade in Northern Ireland.

"Value for money should not exclude quality of material and design, resulting in a uniform as shapeless and uninspiring as Action Man's. I always thought part of military discipline and the pride soldiers take in themselves was down to appearance."

Major Bernard Whishaw of the Royal Engineers Warfare Wing, said the uniform "looks shabby" and that "Velcro is just a cheap irritation".

He suggested putting an elastic or drawstring waist in the jacket to smarten up appearances.

"The lower part of this garment would then flare slightly making any male or female tummy or behind look fine."

He added that "all ranks are keen to look professional and smart".

An angry colour sergeant, based at the Infantry Battle School in Wales, said he found the reasoning behind the design "bewildering".

"It is ridiculous looking when it is left hanging out and should be tucked in while in camp. We are not American.

He then accuses senior officers "getting involved in senior NCO business" and messing it up.

He ends: "Whether we like it or not if personnel believe they look and feel the part then they will perform better than if they think they look like pillocks."

Another soldier, who was not named, said the jacket did not fit and the pockets in the arms were "of little use".

"There is no avoiding the fact that it does not look smart (my wife has confirmed this)."

He added: "We have missed the opportunity to properly modernise and rebrand the Service."

But a few soldiers have approved of the uniform.

"The buttons are covered so they don't snag on things. It's all about change and I'm sure everyone will get used to it. It's good for Afghanistan and is cool in the heat," said Cornet Oliver Leeming, 24, of the Queens Royal Hussars.

In a statement the MoD said it "welcomed" the feedback. It said: "The new combat uniform was specially designed to better accommodate the latest body armour and be easier to wear on the frontline. It is issued to service personnel in addition to barrack dress, which provides a smarter alternative for when troops are not on operations."

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article source - fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8965351/Soldiers-new-uniform-is-a-fashion-faux-pas.html

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