[jyl]

Continuing on my string of life's weighty questions.

Is it okay to wear surplus military stuff if you're not yourself surplus military?

Since college days, I've always had an old army field jacket laying around. It was cheap and I didn't have much money as an undergraduate. I still have it because, well, it wears like iron.

For a long time I didn't wear it because I'd gotten too fat. But after losing about 4 waistband inches, it fits again.

I just went through the closet, purging un-used jackets, and am mulling over this one. I'm wondering if it is in some way "disrespectful" to wear this.

Incidentally, I took my son to the Army-Navy store because he's starting middle school and wanted a new book bag that was "different". So I got reacquainted with military surplus stuff. You know, there's some good stuff there - boots, shirts, coats, etc - among all the weird re-enactor garb and "tactical" toiletry cases. My son wants a "jungle hammock", like that's going to happen. I'm telling my daughter to go there for some real boots instead of Doc Martens.