Light Khaki

Khaki originated on the battlefields of colonial India. In 1846, British Army Lieutenant Harry Lumsden, serving on India's Northwest Frontier, discovered that his soldiers' bright red uniforms made them easy targets in the desert. He ordered his men to dye their white uniforms with muddy water and tea to a dust color. In Urdu, 'khaki' means dust, and thus khaki was born.

The Second Boer War made khaki a global military uniform standard. The British army, wearing khaki combat uniforms, maneuvered against the Boers on the South African grasslands, finding the color almost invisible against the withered grass. After the war, armies worldwide followed suit, and khaki was upgraded from an Indian folk dye to standardized factory production.

In the first half of the 20th century, khaki moved from the battlefield into civilian wardrobes. After WWI, large stocks of military uniforms were repurposed for civilian use, with returning soldiers wearing khaki jackets into everyday life. Gold Rush miners and Western pioneers in the U.S. wore khaki work pants into a symbol of the American spirit.

During WWII, the U.S. government launched a fabric-saving campaign, narrowing women's hemlines to reduce material use. Khaki became the main color for professional women's suits. The photo of Rosie the Riveter in a khaki jumpsuit became an iconic image of the era; from then on, khaki was no longer exclusively a man's color.

The modern fashion world has crowned khaki the king of neutral colors. From Burberry trench coats to Uniqlo basics, khaki transcends class and age. It's not as severe as black nor as delicate as white; a khaki trench coat can be worn from age 25 to 55, looking better the older it gets.