I am a fan of Dress Mess jackets, but I will admit most of mine started out as somebody's uniform. I have a great red flannel one with green cuffs. I have seen the dip on some jackets and not on others. I also have a US Army one with red lapels and elaborate knots. I would be tempted to try removing the knots, but I'd also need to remove about a cubic foot of gros ventre before it would do me any good.

I think the (US) army ones are very cool with the color coded lapels, but I do wonder about wearing them for civilian wear, even after swapping buttons and removing epaulets. Fortunately, I haven't had to go that far. The red one is from the UK and I will go ahead and promise never to wear it there.

For those who haven't seen them, UK Dress Mess jackets often are impressively constructed, with quilted lining and neat piped edges.

Finally, (and sorry for the ping pongish back and forth) I think the USAF Dress Mess is a great starter jacket for the man who needs something formal and needs it right away. The buttons are often on those little cotter pins and you can switch them in an hour.

(So much for keeping my mouth shut and letting others contribute for a while.)

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS, HONOUR ROLL honorees.