British blue dress
Policeman – Source: spm
In many countries, police officers can be identified from afar by their clothing. The majority wear the dark blue uniform that appeared in the nineteenth century in London.
After the law enforcement organization was founded in 1829, London Metropolitan Police officers, considered the first true police force, wore appropriately dark blue uniforms. At that time, British soldiers wore red and white uniforms: so it was necessary to decide to distinguish them from each other. The decision to choose blue was unanimous.
A few years later, in 1845, the first professional police force in the United States appeared in New York. It was decided to borrow the famous blue color of British suits. Having become a standard in the industry, other major countries and cities around the world will follow suit.
It should be noted that another factor greatly contributed to the popularization of this blue color. In fact, during the Civil War, blue military uniforms were widely available. So much so that the surplus was often distributed to police officers who did not yet have a uniform. Therefore, after the war, it made sense to continue this practice and to permanently adopt the color blue.
Wearing a blue outfit? A matter of comfort…
Two police officers walking – Source: spm
But the choice of this color is not as trivial as one might think. Si le bleu foncé s’est largement démocratisé aujourd’hui, c’est aussi parce qu’il est beaucoup plus simple à nettoyer et à entretenir que toute autre couleur claire: en effet, les couleurs sombres « ont tendance » cache mission. A tyrannical policeman whose uniform was “dirty” won’t get much credit in the eyes of the public.
In addition, recent studies of psychology have revealed that blue has a very strong symbolism: this color evokes a feeling of confidence, security and comfort. Real estate assets of the police who represent the public authority.
… and night practicality!
This is not all. There is also another reason that is surprising, but nonetheless important. Nowadays, if the police wear more blue uniforms, it’s also for a practical reason. Thanks to the dark blue color, it is difficult for potential criminals to notice them during the night watch. And the more complicated it is to spot them in complete darkness, the police can sneak in unnoticed. Especially since police officers feel safer at night by wearing a dark suit that does not catch the eye.
Of course, uniforms can vary from country to country (there are places where black or dark green for example predominate), but in general, dark blue remains the color most closely related as the streak.
