Photo book celebrates evolution of khaki

KHAKI: CUT FROM THE ORIGINAL CLOTH, edited by David Fahey, Tondo, Santa Fe, 1999, 155 pages, $50.

Khaki has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, influencing even haute couture, most notably the collections of Yohji Yamamoto, Donna Karan and the house of Chanel. It’s also become a year-round mainstay of designers like Calvin Klein and unisex powerhouses J. Crew, Abercrombie & Fitch and the Gap.

Brought to the forefront of street fashion consciousness again last year, thanks mainly to the ubiquitous print and television Gap ads, khaki has remained a subdued but solid presence in the timeless wardrobe, next to denim and white oxford cloth shirts.

Historical snapshots, Hollywood film stills, and recent fashion and celebrity photographs dating from early this century to the present are included in “Khaki: Cut from the Original Cloth.” Richard Martin, a fashion scholar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, contributed an essay on the history and evolution of khakis, and the foreword is by Elton John. There’s an interesting time line tracing khaki, from its conception to the present.

Beautifully reproduced in a clothbound book, the book includes 110 images by acclaimed photographers and filmmakers Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Andre Kertesz and others.

Equally at home in a downtown coffeehouse or on an Ivy-league campus, on personalities ranging from controversial photographer Joel Peter Witkin to aviatrix Amelia Earhart, from socialites to blue-collar workers, khaki’s universal appeal is celebrated in this book. It’s an appeal that transcends age, gender, race, social class, occupation and nationality.

This collection of images acknowledges khaki’s younger fans with photos of Kate Moss, Edward Burns, Johnny Depp, Christy Turlington, Matt Dillon and others. Old-school admirers will appreciate the iconic photographs of Ava Gardner, Truman Capote, Katherine Hepburn, Kim Novak and Clark Gable, to name a few.

Among the most arresting images is the portrait of Earhart, whose simple beauty and sincerity shine through her gently gender-defiant outfit of leather bomber jacket, white broadcloth shirt, striped tie and khakis. Similarly, images of Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol and Ernest Hemingway exude the quiet confidence that accompanies greatness. Khakis never overpower the wearer, instead lending timelessness and grace, regardless of the surroundings.

Bruce David’s photo “Coney Island, Girl Checks Herself in a Cigarette Machine Mirror as a Boy Rolls Up His Sleeve,” from 1959, is much more than a slice of ’50s Americana, illustrating youthful vanity at its most appealing. Sexy and gritty, this grainy picture reminds us of the importance of appearance and clothing to the young, in which khakis have played a major role.

Among the most touching images in “Khaki” is “Henry Fonda Helps Daughter, Jane, Sail Their Boat in Their Swimming Pool.” An unidentified photographer has captured a poignant moment between father and daughter, a beautiful composition of one of life’s simple pleasures.

“Khaki” portrays a broad cross-section of life, from tender family moments and lighthearted outings with friends to scenes of historical importance and gravity.

The khakis recede to the background of photographs recording historic moments. When looking at Burt Glinn’s haunting image “Little Rock Central High First Day of Federally Enforced Integration of the City’s Public Schools” from 1957 or Robert Capa’s “The Death of a Loyalist Militiaman, Loyalist Soldier, Near Cerro Muriano, Spain,” the last point of focus is pants. Without trivializing such events, inclusion of photographs like these helps round out the collection, balancing images of Hollywood stars and models with moments of real life. We are reminded that clothing is an important part of our culture, and helps us define who we are and how we live.

“Khaki: Cut from the Original Cloth” may be purchased at bookstores throughout the United States and at www.dockers.com. All proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.