SS Uniforms

Even the Nazis had their own sense of fashion when it came to denoting rank and exuding a sense of authority and SS uniforms were no different. Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS, stated that the black uniforms were meant to show fear, respect and command. SS uniforms drew back on the white, red and black ensemble since those colors were popular during the Germanic, imperial days. Prussian cavalry and elite guardsmen wore the famous skull and bones insignia and black uniforms that the Nazis would later adopt. Black also came to symbolize fascism since Benito Mussolini’s top enforcers were known as the black shirts before Hitler’s regime came to power.

The SS began as part of the Nazi storm troopers, or brown shirts, during the 1920s. They were solely loyal to Hitler and were the main enforcers for displacing Jews and sending them to death camps. SS uniforms started out as brown, but by 1932, SS uniforms were changed to black. A German factory that would later become Hugo Boss produced SS uniforms with forced labor. The black SS uniforms became mostly for the political wing of the SS while the military wing wore clothing that was more suitable for warfare. The new SS ensemble included, black breeches, knee-high boots and red armbands with the Nazi insignia. They also wore stylish, peaked caps and a black greatcoat issued to SS members for cold weather. Brown shirts were retained as a nod to the brown shirts. The reason many young men wanted to join the Nazi army was because of the stylish uniforms that commanded respect, fear and authority. Some high ranking officers even received motorcycles as reward for their ranks.

SS uniforms appealed to young, German men who not only wanted to serve the state, but also wanted to look stylish as well. However, it was not easy to get into the SS, especially since its inception. Those who wanted to join had to prove their German ancestry going back to 1750 and had to prove there was no Jewish ancestry in their family backgrounds; however, the rules became more lax since many members found it difficult to prove their ancestry so extensively. SS members had to look the physical part in order to blend well with the SS uniforms; blond hair and blue eyes were preferred, but young men who were generally fit were also encouraged to join.