It’s often assumed—usually about men—that they don’t care about fashion or how they look. But they do care; they just frame it differently. What’s often described as “not caring” is really a focus on utility, durability, and function over aesthetics. Think of proud outdoorsmen, tradesmen, or soldiers: fashion, for them, is about whether something works.
At first glance, you’d expect that children or perhaps the military would be the groups least concerned with appearance, prioritising pure function instead. Yet speak to any experienced quartermaster and they’d disagree immediately. The look of a garment—specifically, a uniform—is far more important than most people realise. Its visual design heavily influences acceptance, morale, and identity. If a soldier doesn’t actually want to wear it, if it feels awkward, ugly, or wrong, then its effectiveness is undermined long before it’s tested in the field. Good design in the military isn’t just about protection or practicality; it’s about creating something that people choose to wear with pride