British Khaki

[Lancealot]

I was shopping at Belks over the weekend and came across a pair of trousers labeled has British khaki. I noticed the weave seemed diffrent than ragular khaki. What is the difference ?

Thanks,
lance

 

[BellyTank]

Khaki is a colour.
Drill is a weave.

B
T

 

[Lancealot]

So British khaki is just another shade of khaki.

Thanks BT

 

[Mike K.]

Khaki is khaki...and there is a wide variation in actual color. Most modern textiles with a color listed as "British khaki" are usually a darker shade and have slightly more yellow tint. However, I've also seen the same color label given to a very light, almost ivory color.[huh]

BT is correct.

 

[BellyTank]

I would say that "Chinos", or US style "Khakis", are generally a paler and more generic, nondescript colour and that "British Khaki" is more like the classic British Military khaki shade. Without having visual reference to something described as "British Khaki". Although I have a house full of British Military khaki drill clothing.


B

T

 

[carter]

I just ordered a pair of British Khaki (color) pants from Hansen's this morning.

Check out this website for great old-style cotton twill (fabric) khakis. Free shipping and no charge for hemming.

http://hansensclothing.com/products/bills_khakis/twill_pants/2008.html

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

colours according to Bill's Kakhis

Kakhi--------------------------British Khaki


.

 

[BellyTank]

Yes-
kind of like that.



B
T

 

[Jovan]

Technically, khaki is just from a word that means dust in Persian. So it can mean all sorts of brown/tan shades.

I really like the pinkish khaki colour of WWII.

 

[MrBern]

Technically, khaki is just from a word that means dust in Persian. So it can mean all sorts of brown/tan shades.

I really like the pinkish khaki colour of WWII.

I enjoy AT THE FRONT's rant on khaki...even tho their actual garments seem more a sage green in person.
TheKhakiRantlink

As for 'britishkhaki', the examples being sold in stores strike me as 'cinnamon'. A nice solid color for the fall.

 

[Jovan]

MrBern: The pinkish khakis pictured down below... SIGH. Such a beautiful colour. Good article, though the guy was a little too harsh.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Trust me. 'British khaki' as a concept only exists outside Britain.

I would ask the question, 'British khaki what?'

Alan

 

[BellyTank]

Well, if you want to get technical...

Technically, khaki is just from a word that means dust in Persian. So it can mean all sorts of brown/tan shades.

I really like the pinkish khaki colour of WWII.

Technically, you're quite wrong... and khaki is neither brown, nor tan.
More of a clay colour with a green hue.

Well, technically, the word; "Khaki", as it relates to a colour in the realm of modern textiles, came to the Western World thanks to the British in India, yes, from a Punjabi word, stemming from Persian a few centuries before(the word stems from Persian, as does the Punjabi language but not this useage of the word)and in this context and useage, describing a "certain" shade of clay (so quite specific)found at particular military barracks in the Southern Punjab region of India(now in Pakistan's Punjab).
A quaint "local" term of the "new" colour of sub-continental/tropical service clothing. Early use of the word, relating to military clothing colour can be traced back to the mid 19thC. but the word came into popular useage in the early late 19th/ early 20thC.
(an Indian person might use the word "khaki"(e.g. khaki-i/dust-y) to describe something which is dusty but not to describe the textile colour until the term was coined in the British Military)
So, "Khaki" in the textile context, is technically and correctly "British Khaki"(using the American correction to the corruption)- the use of the word; "Khaki", in American useage, to describe a shade of textile, which is not "British Khaki", is quite clearly a corruption of the word's meaning.

Today, the word "khakis" is commonly understood as a style of trouser, the colour now being a secondary factor

"the pinkish khaki colour of WWII"- that's called "drab".


B
T

 

[BellyTank]

Trust me. 'British khaki' as a concept only exists outside Britain.

I would ask the question, 'British khaki what?'

Alan

Why, "British Khaki" "Khakis", of course.
Khakis in a Khaki colour...
Karkhi Kakkis.

No Sir, he's just pinin', innit.


B
T

 

[carter]

Originally posted by Belly Tank
"the pinkish khaki colour of WWII"- that's called "drab".

So, in the interest of confusion and obfuscation, is "drab" also known as olive darb?
If the pinkish khaki (color) is know as drab, where did the term "pinks" originate in describing a shade of WWII Officer's clothing that is commonly associated with the "dress" uniform?

 

[MrBern]

to further add to the terminology confusion, I have an elderly veteran friend who refers to his old military khakis as 'suntans'.

btw, a littl info from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaki_(color)

"Khaki-The name is sometimes also used to describe a green color similar to asparagus or pale sea green, especially by the linen/textile/lingerie industries"

 

[MrBern]

So, in the interest of confusion and obfuscation, is "drab" also known as olive darb?
If the pinkish khaki (color) is know as drab, where did the term "pinks" originate in describing a shade of WWII Officer's clothing that is commonly associated with the "dress" uniform?

Hmm, I think we might be talking about two diff items as there were no 'pinks' on the page that Jovan commented.

Officer elastique trousers came in an OD shade dark, often called chocolate.
And 'drab', often called 'pink'
I believe the weave had a mauve thread in there that gave it a pinkish hue.

Dark OD shades varied, so the pinks are desirable in matching up a uniform.

 

[BellyTank]

More British Khaki-

My previous post referred mainly to Khaki as in Khaki Drill and was in reference to "Khakis". British woollen Battle Dress uniforms were also known as Khaki but this is a much darker shade- more olive green with a brown hue to it. US woolen uniforms were of a similar shade but known as OD- Olive drab.

The US "Pinks", which were officially called "Drab", were really a light kind of Taupe, with a recogniseable pink-ish hue, as Bern mentioned but I would say that the use of the term; "Pinks" was a fun nickname, as "Suntans" was for the "Khaki" cotton tropical service uniforms. The British also had a colour called "Drab" in WW2, which was a lighter Khaki shade, sometimes a sandy shade. Late-War British Windproof suit was made in the "Drab" shade and later, in camouflage, which incidentally, had a pink-ish shade in the camouflage pattern. SS camouflage uniforms used pinks and grey-ish violets in their patterns, in an unreserved, impressionistic attempt to mimic nature.


B
T

 

[Alan Eardley]

My previous post referred mainly to Khaki as in Khaki Drill and was in reference to "Khakis". British woollen Battle Dress uniforms were also known as Khaki but this is a much darker shade- more olive green with a brown hue to it. <Snip>

B
T

BT,

That was my point in asking 'British Khaki what?' As you point out, British 'khaki' was a very different hue and shade according to the material from which it is made and the item on which it was used. The '37 Pattern BD khaki was different from '40 Pattern, the serge BD from the denim, KD from webbing, GS cap from blouse etc, etc. All called 'Khaki', all different. Then there was natural variation between batches and/or suppliers. British khaki?

Alan

 

[Alan Eardley]

So, in the interest of confusion and obfuscation, is "drab" also known as olive darb?
If the pinkish khaki (color) is know as drab, where did the term "pinks" originate in describing a shade of WWII Officer's clothing that is commonly associated with the "dress" uniform?

British 'drab' is a different concept (and shade/hue) to US OD no. 3 or No. 7.

It has (as BT has pointed out) a light sandy shade.

Alan