Monday, April 21, 2014

The Origin of Khakis

Why are khaki trousers so widespread? Why not white, or brown, or even pale blue? The word "khaki" comes from a Persian word meaning "soil". According to my sources, khaki uniforms were first developed in 1846 for use by British soldiers in India. While the British army was famous for its signature red coats, leaders eventually realized that blending into the surroundings had its points.

Khaki uniforms spread between different national armies and were very common by the 20th century. Khaki trousers began to be used by civilians after World War II, presumably because of nationalistic sentiments and the surplus of khaki in the aftermath of the war. From this point on, it's probably safe to say that as long as dust is khaki-colored, trousers will be too.

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