What do you guys all think of the new dress khakis? I saw a photo of ADM McMullin wearing that uniform in a magazine today and I think it looks awful. At first glance I thought it was an officer from some backwards eastern European nation.
I think the new dress whites looks pretty good though. It's the same for men and women correct? I never got why the previous dress whites were for both genders, but E-1 through E-6 women dressed up as bus drivers from the 1950s in the winter months.

MIKE

I liked the version of the Service Dress Khaki's I saw about a year or so ago. Only thing is I would not allow the garrison cap to be worn with it - looks rather tacky to me.

Service Dress Whites - are you talking about the redesign of the E-1 to E-6 uniform?

Correct, the redesign of the E-1 to E-6 uniform, the white version of the crackerjacks.

MIKE

http://forums.military.com/eve.../m/6780012681001/p/1 one of the many threads on the new uniforms, specifically khaki

this is on the whites, complete with pics http://forums.military.com/eve...802001#9570057802001

I'll just echo my 6 June 2008 comment.

" I never got why the previous dress whites were for both genders, but E-1 through E-6 women dressed up as bus drivers from the 1950s in the winter months. "

Bet the women sailors won't like the reference to 1950s bus drivers and as a former Coast Guardsman, I'm not particularly pleased either.

Every self-respecting sailor knows that any reference to 1950s bus drivers is strictly reserved and copywritten to "Hooligans Navy" and the Bender Blues we wear/wore.

This edition of "All Hands" does have an item on about pg 4 or 5 concerning the initial issue of the whites as a womens uniform.

http://www.navy.mil/media/allh...acrobat/ah198812.pdf

Those old issues of All Hands were pretty wordy. They seem to be mostly photo spreads these days.

And it's not just the Navy that has some unsightly uniforms (women E-1 through E-6). I'm in the Army now and our dress uniform is so awful that even at ceremonies we wear ACUs.

MIKE

Mike

I kinda think that all the single breast uniform blouses, USA,USAF,USCG,USMC green, are about the same cut/pattern, just the finishing touch details and color that separate them. Really, unless going for the "Saturday Night Fever" look, they are all pretty much the same.

The Navy and Marine Corps "blues" have maintained an "original" and distinctive look that should be kept. It is what describes them as a service.

Your blues will probably just need time to set a new identity.

As for the "ALL HANDS" I'v managed to download just about all editions. An incredible research tool for Naval history. A really "class" publication.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
" I never got why the previous dress whites were for both genders, but E-1 through E-6 women dressed up as bus drivers from the 1950s in the winter months. "

Bet the women sailors won't like the reference to 1950s bus drivers and as a former Coast Guardsman, I'm not particularly pleased either.

I always thought we looked like flight attendants. Have had random people in the airport think the same.

Never understood why we couldn't just do what we did with the whites and wear the same uniform with a different cover.

Edit: Masters, that article was neat (page 3, BTW).

Catherine,
Now my curiosity is up. It may take a while, but I'll dig through the early WW2 issues and see if there are any articles concerning the original uiniform design ideas for the WAVES uniform.

More to follow.

This is an interesting German website that had invaluable info while I was tracking down Coast Guard info concerning the SPARS of WW2 and their uniforms. May prove an interesting start.
" (w w w .blitzkriegbaby.de/homepage.htm% ) "

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
Mike

I kinda think that all the single breast uniform blouses, USA,USAF,USCG,USMC green, are about the same cut/pattern, just the finishing touch details and color that separate them. Really, unless going for the "Saturday Night Fever" look, they are all pretty much the same.

The Navy and Marie Corps "blues" have maintained an "original" and distinctive look that should be kept. It is what describes them as a service.

I always loved the Navy enlisted dress uniform. It being so traditional is why I always wished the ladies could wear it too. Sort of like that girl in the "I wish I were a man" poster. To my mind the single breasted jacket dress uniforms have never been traditional enough. I think the Army really missed an opportunity when they changed from green to blue recently. I've always loved the civil war style uniforms they wear at the Citidel and the service academies. There's no mistaking those guys for anything else.

MIKE

Wasn't there something with the USAF looking at another service dress uniform change recently ???

Thought one was a WW1 style, almost a USMC style tunic ??

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
Wasn't there something with the USAF looking at another service dress uniform change recently ???

Thought one was a WW1 style, almost a USMC style tunic ??

If I recall, it was a WWII style jacket similar to what the Army Air Corps used. Don't know if they approved it or not.

quote:

I always loved the Navy enlisted dress uniform. It being so traditional is why I always wished the ladies could wear it too. Sort of like that girl in the "I wish I were a man" poster.

Yup. If you read the article Masters put up one reason women liked the Whites during the wear test was tradition. One woman said "It made me feel like I belong in the Navy".

I really hated having to wear the blues in a formation. Doesn't look uniform at all, the girls stand out like a sore thumb, and the uniform really never made me feel like a sailor.

(Then again, being forced to wear a skirt in the whites as one of only 13 women in a formation of almost 400 was AFU in my opinion too)

A very distinctive look, from the folks that invented that uniform type.


Bet it might even be less expensive.

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
Bet it might even be less expensive.

More than likely...maybe one day women will wear the same uniforms as the guys.

Eh, who am I kidding?

I viewed a recent showing of 'The Sandpebbles' the other day on TV. The Dress Whites that Steve McQueen wore at the beginning of the movie really looked slick! That's the uniform the Navy should consider reviving!

quote:

More than likely...maybe one day women will wear the same uniforms as the guys.

Eh, who am I kidding?

Next up for the Task force is bringing back the light blue candy stripper uniform for women

quote:

Originally posted by william969:
light blue candy stripper uniform for women

For some reason I always thought that stripping was frowned upon in the Navy (at least for on duty sailors), no matter what the uniform was! !!!!!!!!!!

Damn. That will make for even more interesting Navy stories I bet.......!

One too many p's. try this: