Soldiers Can Wear Black Socks in a Big Sartorial Move for the Army
Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Michael R. Zuk/Army
The United States Army is currently battling in a war against terrorism, taking on a borderless, ungoverned, and volatile enemy. This fight has been ongoing for more than a decade and the end seems to be nowhere in sight, with attacks around the world happening on a weekly basis. But troops just prevailed in one major crusade: the right to wear black socks.
Sure, this privilege might seem trivial, what with lives being lost in suicide attacks and such, but anything to make lives a little easier for the men and women in combat roles seems to be cause for celebration. At a talk at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the sergeant major of the Army addressed more than 600 soldiers regarding future plans, including an initiative promoting healthy eating, physical fitness, and sleep patterns. But the conversation also focused on the sartorial aspects of their lives, with questions pointed at Sgt. Maj. Dan Dailey regarding the Army’s decision to allow non-white socks during physical training exercises.
The policy went into place in November after more than 67 percent of respondents voted in favor of the change in an internal survey. “Sock color choice is at the discretion of the soldier,” Lt. Gen. James McConville wrote in a memo. As reported by the Wall Street Journal on Friday, it’s a challenge to keep white socks clean considering soldiers generally work out with their units in their PT uniforms multiple times per week. “White socks get dirty fast,” Staff Sft. Andrew Gile told the newspaper. “Black hides everything.”
While famously strict when it comes to appearance, the army has loosened up in the past few years. An update to regulations in 2014 that restricted hairstyles for women was severely ridiculed, especially in the media because it mostly targeted black female soldiers. For those with natural, unprocessed hair, twists, bigger braids, and various other styles were banned. Following the uproar, the then Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reversed the restraints.
For 2016, army members were also granted a 7 percent increase in clothing allowance and more changes are currently under review, including an update to a coat made popular in the Eisenhower era, eliminating the drill sergeant hat for women, and more.
The black socks might be a sign of sartorial progress, except another campaign looms on the horizon: soldiers’ right to working out with headphones.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
