An article dedicated to the study and preservation of the innumerable Tigerstripe camouflage patterns of the Vietnam War period and beyond. All photographs were taken in-house and display tiger patterns from our private archives as well as some previously sold examples.
Patterns are defined and categorized by the formation of shapes rather than the colourway as defined by Richard Johnson's 'Tiger Patterns' book.
A wide variety of Tigerstripe patterns were commissioned by US and South East Asian military organisations throughout the Vietnam War and contracts were awarded to numerous manufacturers across East Asia. Loose tolerances, various localised dying practices, and the expectation to meet demand explain the diversity of colourways seen on Tiger patterns. The swatches shown in this article display a range of colourways and fade patterns.
Please note that photographs are not to scale and were taken to show the largest available uninterrupted section of fabric on the garments I have available.
The patterns are not oriented in any particular direction, so you may notice that some patterns are at 180-degree angles to one another. This is a common trait seen on garments and I have maintained the original orientation of the pattern as seen on it's respective garment. All photographs were taken with the fabrics laid flat under even, consistent lighting.
This is a working document, and will be updated when new articles become available.
Below is a timeline that shows the developmental history and evolution of wartime Tigerstripe patterns. A list of the abbreviated Johnson terms alongside other collector's terms may be found beneath.
| Johnson's Terms | Other Collector Terms |
| Vietnamese Marine Corps Experimental (VMX) | N/A |
| Vietnamese Marine Corps Sparse (VMS) | VNMC first pattern |
| Vietnamese Marine Corps Dense (VMD) | Seawave / VNMC second pattern |
| John Wayne Sparse Variant (JSV) | N/A |
| John Wayne Sparse (JWS) | Early Classic / Fat stripes |
| John Wayne Compact (JWC) | CIA |
| John Wayne Dense (JWD) | Okinawa / Classic |
| Tadpole Sparse (TDS) | Silver |
| Tadpole Dense (TDD) | TO78 / TO79 |
| Tadpole Dense Variant (TDV) | TO78 / TO79 |
| Advisor Sparse (ADS) | Gold |
| Advisor Dense (ADD) | ARVN Classics / Purple |
| Late War Lightweight Sparse (LLS) | Lightweight |
| Late War Lightweight Dense (LLD) | Late War |
| Late War Midweight Dense (LMD) | N/A |
| Late War Heavyweight Dense (LHD) | N/A |
| Late War Heavyweight Sparse Reversed (LSR) | N/A |
| Late War Heavyweight Dense Reversed (LDR) | N/A |
| Splotch (SPL) | CIDG / Coarse |
| Saigon (SAI) | N/A |
| SEAL (SEA) | N/A |
| Thai Tadpole Sparse (TTS) | Thai |
| Thai Late War Large (THL) | Thai Large |
| Zig-Zag (ZIG) | Penis |
| Vietnamese Marine Corps Transitional (VMT) | Viet Tailor Made |
John Wayne Dense (JWD)
Tadpole Sparse (TDS)
Advisor Dense (ADD)
Late War Lightweight Sparse (LLS)
Splotch (SPL)
Late War Midweight Dense (LMD)
Late War Lightweight Dense (LLD)
Late War Heavyweight Dense
Tadpole Dense (TDD)
Thai Tadpole Sparse (TTS)
Thai Late War Large (THL)
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With thanks to Show Linh for his continued research and enthusiasm to teach others about the nuances and variations of wartime tiger patterns.
All but one of your LMD patterns are actually LHD. This is primarily due to most readers missing the critical statement where he describes LHD in the book is printed on two fabric types: one being a coarse twill (similar to that used in TDD garments), and the other “a mid-weight” fabric which is in reality most similar to ADD garments (although when heavily washed it feels thin and more like poplin). In addition, while he does describes this in text, he fails to show photos of the more of common neon LHD colors which you have posted.
The only LMD image you have correctly identified is the image named: Late_War_Mid-Weight_Dense_LMD_5_480x480.jpg
LMD is clearly distinct as it is vat dyed and closest to the feel of the fabric used in Splotch (which you’ll notice has the same even fade as the correct LMD photo as the fabrics are very similar) once it has been washed. When deadstock, LMD/SPL actually feels like thin cardboard. It feels almost like a crinkly stiff rubber type fabric after washing.
And even more confusing to people who haven’t handled a ton of tiger stripe, LMD fabric actually feels “heavier” than the “mid-weight” LHD fabric describes in the book. The fact Johnson labeled something as LMD, but then further breaks down LHD into two sub-weights of fabric leads to even more confusion.