Not the shirts, with the silly collars and the anchors on the buttons, but I DO miss the old working blue pants. Lasted forever and a day, and a little Rit dye would make the fading on the legs disappear, and look like new again! These ODU pants have a rather disappointing lifespan, and the quality control is severely lacking.
Originally posted by MConnelly2: but I DO miss the old working blue pants. Lasted forever and a day,
Im going to have to disagree with you here. My billfold tore the heck out of the back of my pants. If it wasnt that it was my cope can. I was buying a new pair every month.
These new ones hold up the color just fades faster than...well i cant say. Hopefully the newest ones coming out are the best of both worlds!!!!
Don't miss the old working blues but in a few years I'm sure I'll missing the "old ODUs". Not a fan of how these new ones look, but who knows, maybe they'll be comfortable enough and durable enough to make up for it.
Chambry shirts and tailor made dungarees,made from sail cloth,purchased on the "Pike. This was in the days of the "Old,old,Guard". Many of the sailors from the fourty's and the fiftys,will remember these work clothes,as a B.M mine lasted quite some time.Every quarter we recieved a clothing allowance,the great sum of five dollars.
I was in during the transition from the dungarees to the first working blue uniform. As an engineman I could not imagine pulling a shirt off over my head if it had been soaked in battery acid or some other toxic fluid. Bad design and bad fashion. Give me a good pair of Seafarers and a good chambray shirt with the iron crow and I was good to go. Easy to maintain and lasted quite a while if you took care of them. I never did wear the new uniform.
The old working blues were definitely comfortable and the shirts weren't nearly as hot as the current blouse is. The downfall was for the underway folks going up and down ladders. You'd get those holes were the heel was from rubbing against the ladder steps.
The last working blues were very functional, but did nothing to build pride or make a statement. We might as well have worn Levis. Which we used to get away with, matched to the chambray shirt. The least forgiving uniform was the working blues we got in 1974, with the blue shirt and red stripes that you did not tuck in. Those pants did not stretch one bit during an ALPAT eating too much and not exercising! But then maybe that is why we did not need a weight program? Nothing like a pair of pants that always felt too small to keep you in shape.
While in the old blues, I was asked once for $5 of unleaded by a blue-hair while I was filling up my own car down in St Pete. I said, "Sorry ma'am. I don't work here." her reply was, "Are you sure?" I just got in my car and drove off. Maybe I should have taken the $5 anyways. Naaa.
Oh, the old, "gas station joke" Haven’t heard that one before !!
Since this is giving our opinion, I will put in my 2-cents.
The old working blue and the new ODU each have their plus and minuses. But, I believe the working blue had more positive than negatives. Well, I for one miss the old working blue for several reasons. One, I always believed that our working blue uniform matched more closely with Fire Department uniforms. Minus the cool patches on the left and right sleeve. I could go from Joe Coastie, to Joe FD guy by only having to change out my CG shirt. Two, the washing/care issues gave the member more options; you could wash, iron, dry clean, military creases, etc. Three, took less time to get dressed. Getting into the ODU feels like getting ready for a formal dinner. After having to roll my sleeves, tuck in the shirt with all the extra material into my pants, and finally blouse my pants over my shoes. In that time I could have responded to three more postings in Fred’s place. Four, the ODU has a serious warm weather issue. Try to help me understand, its summer time in Florida and I have on my ODU, to help with the 90 degree temp and 75% humidity I should just roll my sleeves up? We have an issue when CG members in AK are wearing the same uniform in FL with the only difference being sleeves rolled up or down? Four, the ODU takes on a sloppy appearance due to the rolling, tucking, and blousing. The ODU ends up having a baggy look that is always needing to be tucked and re-tucked after sitting, standing or just walking. After wearing the ODU for several years and giving it a fair and honest try, I would go back to the old working blue based on the above.
Originally posted by medevacs_r_notsexy: Oh, the old, "gas station joke" Haven’t heard that one before !!
Yea, I had heard about that before, and had thought folks were just jerking me around. And then it happened to me. At that point I didn't know what to think. Then again, I was only an E3 at the time.
Yea, I had heard about that before, and had thought folks were just jerking me around. And then it happened to me. At that point I didn't know what to think. Then again, I was only an E3 at the time.
HA HA! Same thing happened to me when I was attached to ANT Puget Sound in Seattle. I was filling up the GV and some lady asked me for help. I helped her out and started the pump for her, then hopped in the truck with my BM1 and MK2 (I was an SN). The look on her face was great. Total confusion!!!
I use to think these gas station stories were a joke until I had it happen twice with 2 mins at the same station in Woods Hole. The first guy pulled up to the pump on the other side and asked if both sides were full service. 2 mins later, a guy walked up and asked me if I had an ATM inside.
!!
