Vintage Dutch Military Shirt

Royal Netherlands Army Shirt

This is a cotton field shirt issued to the Dutch Army, cut in plain olive drab with a Dutch tricolor patch on each upper sleeve. It works as a light outer layer for camp, range and outdoor work, or as an everyday overshirt. Collectors and reenactors of Cold War era NATO forces will also want the genuine Dutch issue rather than a lookalike.

Features

• Cotton Construction — The shirt is made of cotton, which breathes well in warm weather and softens with washing.
• OD Green Color — Olive drab, the muted green-brown used across NATO armies, blends in outdoors and pairs easily with other surplus kit.
• Dutch Flag Sleeve Patches — A red, white and blue tricolor is sewn to each upper sleeve, marking the shirt as Netherlands issue.
• Twin Flapped Chest Pockets — Two large patch pockets with full-width flaps hold a notebook, phone or map and keep the contents from bouncing out.
• Covered Button Placket — A fabric strip runs down the front over the buttons, so they stay hidden and less likely to snag on straps or brush.
• Shoulder Epaulets — Fabric straps on each shoulder, used in service to carry rank slides, also hold a pack strap or folded cap in place.
• Buttoned Cuffs — Long sleeves close with buttoned cuffs that can be undone and rolled when the day warms up.
• Original Issue Label — An inside collar label carries the KL marking of the Koninklijke Landmacht, the Royal Netherlands Army, along with sizing details.

Original Dutch Issue

The KL on the label stands for Koninklijke Landmacht, the land force of the Netherlands, and the shirt was made to that army's own pattern. Its point collar, concealed front, flapped pockets and epaulets follow the standard military field shirt layout, with no added branding or decoration beyond the national flags. Because each piece is genuine government issue, it holds real provenance for collectors and gives reenactors an accurate Dutch uniform item.