Lace up your combat boots, because utilitarian fashion is pulling rank this season. From the glossy leather bomber jackets Callum Turner and Austin Butler don in Apple TV+’s WWII drama Masters of the Air to the sharply tailored smocks and military jackets populating the Givenchy and Max Mara SS24 runways, combat couture has become inescapable. But if there was a medal for making military-inspired looks, it would have to go to Alpha Industries. For more than half a century, Alpha Industries has brought soldier-approved style to the streets.
The heritage brand has a track record worth saluting: in the ‘60s, the Department of Defense contracted them to create some of the most iconic military outerwear to date, including the MA-1 jacket and N-2B parka. As troops and civilians alike admired the cutting-edge apparel, it wasn’t long before they expanded their reach to the world outside the frontlines—where they continue to be the top guns of G.I.-influenced fashion today.
With the release of an explosive SS24 collection Alpha Industries’ is declaring D-day as they unveil their most innovative offerings yet. Taking inspiration from military uniforms throughout history, the collection fuses fashion and function in a bold array of menswear and womenswear that personifies rugged sophistication. Classic camouflage prints bring the shadows of desert terrain to life in a variety of pieces, including the trendy L-2B Cropped Gen II Bomber Jacket and its hooded equivalent. The signature pattern also makes a surprise appearance in the lining of the Ripstop Parachute Pants, allowing wearers to display a pop of camouflage when cuffed. It’s perfectly adapted to the concrete jungle, where, instead of blending in with the environment, this camouflage is meant to help looks stand out.
Patterns aren’t the only weapon in the AI arsenal as inviting solid colors command equal respect. The collection’s color palette of earthy cedar green and coolly mechanical aircraft gray—alongside the expected sandy beige and midnight-black tones—are optimal for transitional dressing, whether paired with winter’s muted hues or grounding a bright spring fit. And if rainy days are headed your way, the collection’s several water-proof jackets will protect your drip from, well, dripping.
If you really want to have style savants standing at attention when you walk by, fret not, AI brought in the calvary for the collection’s elevated utilitarian moments. Chief among them is a cinch-waist flight suit, a dynamite gray one-piece that majorly outranks the basic jumpsuit. Another high-flyer is the C-1 Mod Shirt Jacket, which can be converted into a vest to deliver two looks in one while supplying all the pockets one could possibly need. Rounding out the collection: exemplary essentials, from ponchos to packable nylon jackets, designed with the same expertise as the vaunted MA-1 bomber—so they’re ready to roll in any climate.
As anyone in the trenches of military-inspired fashion can attest, Alpha Industries is in a league of their own. Uniform staples like camouflage and epaulets are sharply rendered in the inventive SS24 collection, which delivers sheer utilitarian elegance across a range of innovative designs. For anyone looking to take their civilian wardrobe to the next level, rest assured that Alpha Industries has you covered.
