Khaki

This article is about the fabric. Multan was a well known military cantonment of British India (now in Pakistan). During the Second Boer War, the British forces became known as Khakis because of their uniforms.

It is pronounced /ˈkɑːkiː/ in Britain; /ˈkækiː/ in the US; /ˈkɑrkiː/, /ˈkɑːkiː/, or, increasingly, /ˈkækiː/ in Canada) (in Persian: خاکی /xɒːˈkiː/. The correct shade of khaki was also known as Multani Mitti , meaning the mud of Multan . The name comes from the Persian word khâk (dust/ashes) which came to English from British India, specifically via the British Indian Army.

The British Army adopted khaki for the campaign dress in 1897, and it was used in the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled Khaki . Khaki is a type of fabric or the colour of such fabric.

states and counties. For the colour, see Khaki (color).

After victory in the war the government called an election, which became known as the khaki election, a term used subsequently for elections called to exploit public approval of governments immediately after victories. In 1846 Sir Harry Lumsden raised a corps of Guides for frontier service from British Indian recruits at Peshawar. It has also spread to civilian clothing, where khakis since the 1950s has meant tan cotton twill pants/trousers. Khaki has also become a common slang term in the United States Navy that refers to chief petty officers and officers (who wear a khaki-colored uniform). Today, civilian khakis come in all ranges of colors and the term refers more to the particular design or cut of the pants/trousers.

A darker shade of khaki serge was adopted for home service dress in 1902. The United States Army adopted khaki during the Spanish American War (1898). Regiments serving in the region had adopted properly dyed khaki uniforms for active service and summer dress.

It has become de rigueur for military uniforms of militaries the world over (e.g., the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps), as well as the police forces of many South Asian countries and U.S. In this context, Khakis have become popular as business casual pants/trousers, and includes other cuts and fabric types (such as chinos). .

The original khaki fabric was a closely twilled cloth of linen or cotton.