From the early 1930s, the British War Office began research on a replacement for the Service Dress that had been a combined field and dress uniform since the early 1900s. Initially conducted on a small scale over several years, some of the ideas tested included deerstalker hats and safari jackets. After extensive field trials of other uniforms, "Battledress, Serge" (often referred to as 1937 Pattern, albeit wrongly) was adopted just before the Second World War. The uniform was designed with the needs of mechanised infantry in mind, and was inspired by contemporary wool 'ski suits' that were less restrictive to the wearer, used less material, were warm even while wet and were more suited to vehicular movement than Service Dress.