About Uniform Profiles
Uniform Profiles is a special feature designed to present WW2 US military uniforms in their entirety. It is intended to help the user visualize a specific uniform type in its complete state by illustrating the individual components grouped together. Major components will be shown including headgear, overcoats, jackets, shirts, trousers, and footwear. When available, other smaller items will be included in the presentation, such as neckties, scarves, belts, suspenders, gloves, socks, and the like. The front and back of the primary components will be included to highlight the complete design characteristics. When available, catalog images and line drawings will be included in order to add further dimension to the presentation.
Showing uniforms broken down into individual components will help give us a more complete understanding of the uniform by allowing smaller items to be clearly shown and the details of larger items to be highlighted when appropriate. Typically, full illustrations or photos of uniforms lack these important details. For instance, smaller items such as shoes are simply too small to see or other items such as shirts are covered by another garment. This approach is especially helpful in visualizing field uniforms because in many illustrations and photos these garments are often obscured by equipage worn over them.
Each uniform shown in these presentations will only include items that were designed and intended to be worn together. Understanding this, it should be recognized that during the war years uniform regulations changed continuously as did what was considered permissible to wear due to expediencies necessitated by difficult conditions. Furthermore, the continuous development of new uniforms coupled with supply problems and the power to approve the use of particular items residing with local commanders often resulted in a mishmash of uniform components being worn together. This is especially the case with field uniforms. So, for the most part, Uniform Profiles will not show components from different uniform designs mixed together even if historical evidence shows this was the case. Equipage and insignia will generally not be shown in these presentations except in cases where these items are considered integral to the particular uniform being featured.