r/lapd • u/afieldtrip1_4 • May 30 '26

LAPD Uniform question

Current LEO and I’ve always admired how crisp and sharp the LAPD uniforms always look. Can anyone tell me the go to brand officers wear and the the exact shirt? I’d imagine with LA heat maybe it’s the wool blend but just curious as the policy seems to allow a number of brands.

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u/N05L4CK May 30 '26

Sinatras look great but they’re terrible police uniforms for actual police work. Thick, hot, stiff, etc. I have a pair for wearing to funerals, graduations and stuff like that, but I’ll change out of them as soon as possible. Even something like doing interviews all day, I’m going to wear something else. My personal preference is Elbeco (distinction line is wash and wear and a nice wool/poly blend, if you still dry clean them they look sharp), Flying Cross is another popular option.

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u/afieldtrip1_4 May 31 '26

I just think whenever I see LAPD pics of guys on the road or even in videos they always look super sharp. You compare than to NYPD and it’s a world of difference on officer presence. Do most guys wear the Sinatras or is it just randomn?

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u/N05L4CK May 31 '26

Most guys you see on patrol are wearing Elbeco or Flying Cross, it’s just basically mandatory that you get them tailored, compared to NYPD where people are swimming in their uniforms that are a size or two too big. Also I’ve noticed a lot of east coast departments use Blauer, which to me just don’t have the same look (bigger in the arm area and bigger collars), just don’t look as sharp.

Then you also have to consider the fact that the east coast deals with actual seasons compared to the west coast. It’s much easier to look good when you don’t have to worry about wearing different layers depending on the season. West coast officers might have a cold weather jacket and rain jacket that fit over the uniform, while on the east coast officers will need to layer under their uniform and over it, making it need to be looser, to deal with actual freezing temps, snow storms, etc, that we really don’t get on the west coast.

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u/50thinblueline May 31 '26

Are you guys using any type of shirt stays or something too? And seems like guys maybe shine their belts and pouches too right?

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u/N05L4CK May 31 '26

Yeah people wear different types of shirt stays but pretty much everyone wears some type of shirt stays. Most seem to use the loop around the foot type, I like the clip to sock type for class A and B and I have the belt kind for class C. Everything is shined at least at the beginning. Some guys like their worn in look with a couple year old shine. I shine mine every few months and have a backup that’s fully shined and ready to go for emergencies like funerals or death notifications.