cal piece of the whole; as Heather puts it: “[we start with] a vision and actually design concepts into a tangible and functional reality, which eventually improves the life of a Soldier.” Inspiration and innovation: the fashion engineers In 2004, DPPT’s updated version of the Army Combat Uniform won an award as one of the top ten inventions for the U.S. Army (annual nominations most often go to war machinery, such as aircraft carriers; the fact that a clothing item won was huge). Prior to this year, the Army had been using the same battledress uniform since the early 1980s; soldiers had to have one uniform each for desert, urban and woodland areas. With the introduction of “universal camouflage,” one uniform was sufficient for any war environment. The Natick team is currently working in conjunction with Crye Associates on the next camouflage style called MultiCam® (currently being issued to soldiers in Afghanistan as its seven-color, multi-environment pattern is advantageous for the different types of terrain in the country). Research and development (R&D) is a majorly exciting component of work at Natick, and Annette says at times her work is “more like being an engineer than in high fashion.” Indeed, the team has a close relationship with military engineers, and when presented with a design problem the groups work together to analyze and think through solutions. Lieutenant Colonel Accetta recalls a paratrooper’s recent visit from Fort Bragg, NC, for special assistance fitting his helmet: This young Soldier had difficulty comfortably wearing the standard helmet and came to see some of our engineers to adjust the inside pads to make it fit properly and safely. The engineers determined that he needed a special custom-made helmet pad configuration, and we went to Annette and her team to see what they could do. Even though DPPT was decisively engaged in
DPPT Team Leader Annette LaFleur.
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some other missions, they realigned their priorities for the day so they could help out the Soldier and get him back to Fort Bragg with a solution in hand. They found the right material and then designed and fabricated a number of special pockets to hold the pads and make this trooper’s helmet fit correctly and comfortably.
Another example is an extraction harness that the team played a role in developing. Used to pull a soldier out of a tank in case of danger or injury, the previous harness design would pull up on the soldier’s uniform and potentially choke him or her; the new pulley system allows for an easy slide out. Says Lynne, “we often get our best ideas just driving in a car.” Natick has every type of textile technology available to them, from seam-sealers that stitch perfect seams with chemical-leak resistant Gortex, to an ultrasonic machine that cuts and seals synthetic webbing. An entire room is dedicated to the studio’s massive CAD system, which masters Christine and Nicole use to create and alter patterns. At the time of my visit, the team was looking forward to the delivery of a new multi-ply “cutter.” Linked to CAD, the machine receives data and cuts patterns; the multi-ply version will allow the designers to cut into heavier fabrics, like the ballistic material Kevlar. Exotic textiles such as this play a large role in R&D. Annette’s team travels a few times a year to U.S. tradeshows and sport and hunting arenas to see what commercial materials are out there and how they can be tweaked for military use (under the Berry Amendment, all garments, fabrics, fibers and other components must be domestically produced, manufactured or grown). Like any industry design team, DPPT keeps an archive of fabric swatches and can commission a one-of-a kind material when necessary. Of course, sometimes it’s the simplest materials that create the most effective solution. For example, the Army is gradually replacing some Velcro closures with buttons, as buttons are easier for a soldier to quickly repair in the field. “[Industry] designers look to current events (war), automotive design, music and other things to inspire their lines. [Our inspiration is] the Warfighter, [who] constantly drives my team and I to design the best possible uniforms and protective clothing,” states Annette. Soldiers themselves have proven to be a great resource for innovation and improvement ideas. The Ghillie Base Layer, for example, is a flame-resistant coat and trouser worn by the sniper community. Field reports stated that soldiers were cutting the backs and underarms out from their suits, as they were too hot sitting still for long stretches of time. Natick translated this feedback by incorporating a breathable mesh fabric into a new Ghillie base layer, minimizing the soldiers’ need to alter their own suits and allowing them to focus more on customization for their environment (snipers attach custom camouflage, such as leaves and twigs, to rows of oneinch wide nylon webbing on the back of their suits). The Female Army Combat Uniform is another project that DPPT is working on, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Product Manager for Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment. ACUs are currently unisex and ill-fitting for women; the new female-specific design will have a slightly larger hip and hourglass jacket with an elastic waist. Presently in the fit-test stage, Natick’s goal is to alter patterns to fit 99 percent of the female soldier population; the challenge is in what the team can change while staying within compliance of standards. While Balmain’s Christophe Decarnin can design pockets as small as he chooses, Annette’s team has to ensure that their soldier can fit all the things she needs for the job. The “sexy factor” In the past week alone, my inbox has been flooded with invitations to shop Junya Watanabe’s “military chic look” at Barneys;