Fishtail parka

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The fishtail parka was first used by the United States Army in 1951 to help protect soldiers from the elements in the Korean War.

There are two main styles of fishtail parka; the M-51 and the M-65. The M stands for military, and the number is the the year it was designed. The name fishtail comes from the fact that the coat is longer at the back than it is at the front. This was so the coat could be tied around the upper legs for added wind proofing as they are not, as some think, waterproof. Both types feature a removable liner.

Starting in the early 1960s, the fishtail parka became a symbol of the mod subculture. Due to their practicality, cheapness and availability from army surplus, the parka was seen as the ideal garment for fending off the elements when on the mod's vehicle of choice, the scooter. Its place in popular culture was assured by newspaper pictures of parka-clad mods during the bank holiday riots of the 1960s.