The Green Parka Retrospective

The history of utilitarian outerwear is rich with shades of green, from the very first military parka and its sage green hue to the many variations of the colour that we’ve used and loved over the years. Green is definitely a classic for us at PARKA London, and it’s going to stay that way.

We don’t believe in reinventing the wheel, a parka should be green. It is one of the things we love about our icon. Unlike the original function for parkas and utilitarian outerwear, these days, we are not aiming to camouflage ourselves from the enemy on the battlefields. We are inspired by the original military hues and love to still use them, as well as develop and add some contemporary shades that we believe will be a timeless addition to any wardrobe for years to come.

Sage Green AKA Military Green Parka

Sage green first appeared on military parka’s and flight jackets due to its abilities to camouflage against dense vegetation and plant life during battle. A hue adopted on the streets in the 60s and 80s, sage green became a certain utilitarian style statement that still remains easy to wear classic today.

The word ‘Khaki’ means ‘dust covered cloth’. The most common shade of green in outerwear, particularly found in military styles like the Parka or Field Jacket due to surplus of army uniform purchased by masses post-war. It was first introduced in 1846 in military uniforms for the British Calvary and then widely adopted in the US as a form of camouflage.

The Olive Drab shade made its first appearance in 1892 to help camouflage the military and equipment in battle. It is also a shade widely used in the M-81 ‘woodland’ camo print, and with the variations of olive shades have made it one of the most popular colour for outerwear. It’s definitely one of our top picks because of its rich; earthy tones.

Seakelp, a Modern Version of Military Green

Seakelp is one of our modern interpretations of military greens. This deep and rich seaweed tone delivers a darker shade that can be easy to wear with any look, offering a modern nod to the timeless military trend but this time camouflaging the wearer from the urban jungle rather than the battlefield.

Pistachio delivers a calming and fresh twist to the parka green and is a lovely neutral pop of colour for the summertime. This light blue-green tint will keep you going for seasons to come. It might not keep you hidden away like our traditional camo greens, but in this modern day who wants to blend in!

Inspired by modern artists of our past and present we wanted to bring a new take on the camo print so we developed this abstract camo inspired print, presented in a blend of seakelp and pistachio. We left behind the battlefield to allow this striking print to shine on the city streets or at summer festivities.