Boonie hat

Lord & Taylor produced licensed copies for a reduced price; cheap knockoffs ("bootleg imitations") soon followed.

[4] These leopard spots or tigerstripe boonie hats were locally procured, and the camouflage cloth was usually salvaged from other uniform items or parachutes, and were fabricated by a tailor in the style of the French chapeau de brousse Mle 1949.

As the U.S. military evolved away from a garrison mentality, the boonie hat found a permanent place as part of the uniform of all services.

[4] The boonie hat is often worn with the wearer's rank insignia pinned or sewn to the front, above the branch loops.

The design apparently originated from an earlier British uniform intended for fighting in hot and humid conditions.

Alongside the British, the Australian Army started issuing this type of hat, which had a steeper and shorter brim than its earlier counterparts.

It was made with the same materials as the hot weather combat uniforms, unlike the slouch hat, which was beginning to take on a more ceremonial role rather than being field gear.

The army created several regulations: the hat was not allowed to be modified or cut whatsoever, and it had to be worn when outdoors at all times.

It was made with cotton twill and was issued in olive drab, the standard colour of Australian combat uniforms at the time.