Uniforms serve many functions. In most basic terms, they set those wearing the uniform apart from those who aren’t; they instate order within organizations and within society; and they serve to protect the officials wearing them, crafted with specific materials and designed to maximize accessibility to necessary tools. While the uniform helps to diminish social chaos and issue a sense of order, there have been many cases throughout history, where those behind the uniform have abused power and thus attached a very negative stigma to uniforms in general. Though instilling an element of fear is a necessary constituent in asserting authority, some uniforms will never live their terrible name down and will make you want to crap your pants if you ever find yourself face-to-face with a person wearing one. Here is a short list of some.

KKK robes

It’s hard to understand how it is that a costume comprised of bed sheets and a dunce cap could be utterly, shake-in-your-boots terrifying, but the Ku Klux Klan managed to do just that, and here’s how. Symbolism played an integral role in the formation of the Ku Klux Klan. The name, derived from the Greek word kuklos (meaning circle) and klan (from the English word clan) meaning brotherhood, represented the unity of white supremacists. And what could be more symbolic of white power and unity than white wizard robes.

But aside from looking like creepy Merlins, inspiration for the uniform came from the dress of slave patrolmen from the Civil War era who patrolled areas looking for escaped slaves. Klansmen believed that “superstitious blacks” would think they were the ghosts of Confederate soldiers. They would even put sheets on their horses to make them look like ghost horses. On some of the KKK robes, members would wind red thread around the seams and in the mouth and eye areas, to give the impression of being “blood thirsty” ghosts. [Source]. The masks and robes hid Klan members’ identities as most of them lived in small towns and could be easily recognized and prosecuted for free-lance violence.

SS uniform

Likely one of the most recognizable and fear-instilling uniforms of the century, the SS uniform was designed by Prof. Karl Diebitsch and graphic designer Walter Heck and manufactured by Hugo Boss. (Yes, before becoming a world-renowned fashion empire, from 1933 until the end of the war, Hugo Boss produced the Nazis black uniforms along with the brown SA shirts and the black-and-brown uniforms of the Hitler Youth.)

The black SS uniform was introduced in 1932 by Reich SS leader, Heinrich Himmler replacing the SA brown shirts. Although I think we’re all guilty of having yearned for an Albino in uniform at one time or another, the uniforms, coupled with the pale, blond-hair, blued-eyed officers that wore them, were meant to look anything but friendly. Inspired by Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts (the nickname for the Fasci di Combattimenti), black was a popular color with fascist movements, was meant to foster fear and assert authority, not to mention look aggressive and evil.

In 1935 certain SS units were issued grey uniforms with the same cut as the black ones in order to better differentiate roles within the party. [Source].

Adolph Hitler designed the Nazi party flag using red, white and black, a return to the colors of the old German Empire flag. The swastika, (a symbol which in the Indian subcontinent is still used as a religious symbol of good fortune, not to mention one of mankind’s oldest symbols) became the central emblem of Nazism- a symbol of the Aryan cultural descent of the German people. Hitler used the German word “hakenkreuz” to describe this symbol, the translation meaning “hooked cross”. According to cryptologist and symbologist, Dr. Rex Curry, the hakenkreuz was a morphing of the letter S, which stood for “socialism” and the overlapping “S” represented socialists joining together as the National German Workers Party.

The Black and Tans

Sent to Ireland to assist the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) against the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the fast-spreading anti-British sentiment, the Black and Tans were mostly comprised of ex-British army officers, acting more like an occupation army than a police force protecting the people. They came to be known for terrorizing local communities in Ireland. Due to a shortage of RIC uniforms, the Black and Tans were issued khaki military trousers and dark green police tunics, which is how they acquired the name Black and Tans. They had minimal police training and a vehement reputation for brutality. To give you an idea of why the Black and Tans have held such a terrible reputation among the Irish, this excerpt from a speech by a division commander of the RIC to his constables, Lt. Col. Smyth, encapsulates why:

“….If a police barracks is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then the best house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown into the gutter. Let them die there - the more the merrier. Police and military will patrol the country at least five nights a week. They are not to confine themselves to the main roads, but make across the country, lie in ambush and, when civilians are seen approaching, shout “Hands up!” Should the order be not immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons approaching carry their hands in their pockets, or are in any way suspicious-looking, shoot them down. You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right parties some time. The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man …”

Georgian Riot Police

These freaky-Mickey Mouse masked riot police are another prime example of fear-instilling uniform. A five day rally that took place in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi in November of 2007 ended with police beating demonstrators and shooting fleeing protesters with rubber bullets while trying to disperse anti-government demonstrations. Riot police evicted a small group that had camped on the steps of parliament, including more than a dozen people on a hunger strike, and arrested several opposition leaders. According to media reports, the police prevented journalists from filming the incident, and confiscated and destroyed several television cameras. [Source]. Riot police, without warning, attacked using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.

Peruvian Riot Police

What looks like a scene from Judgment Day, this picture was taken during a parade celebrating Peru’s Independence Day. It’s always comforting to see how well the government equips itself against its own people.

Any other suggestions to add to this list are gladly welcome.

*UPDATE*
The Black Panthers

Though the Black Panthers initially established themselves as an organization to promote socialist and nationalist doctrines, Black Power and protect African-American neighborhoods from police brutality, the group’s militant and often violent tactics came to overshadow their primary motives. Because California law permitted the carrying of a loaded rifle or shotgun (as long as it was publicly displayed)- the Panthers took advantage of this and developed a reputation for being a violent organization. Members were encouraged to carry guns to defend themselves but whereas some members had joined in order to support Panther’s social programs, others held more of “street mentality” and acted more like a gang.