Quote Originally Posted by longhuntr74 View Post
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Regarding the white mess jacket...I think it carries with it a similar stigma to the white shirt/cummerbund/bow tie combination (I haven't used RSR here on purpose...we can call it RSR in it's designated place, but when it's not the designated uniform it's just poor form or a service uniform) in that it may conjure up images of waiters or cruise ship attendants (Love Boat, anyone?) I have been tempted to buy the white mess uniform...it's relatively inexpensive...but the problem is that nobody in the U.S. Army wears it...so if I wore it to a summertime function (which are also rare...most balls tend to be during the Christmas holiday season or in the spring), I'd be the only white jacket in a sea of blue and black.
I agree that a white mess jacket is somewhat stigmatized, though not to the degree of showing up sans jacket!

I don't mind standing out in a crowd, which is why the white jacket is somewhat tempting. They're not common around here, but they're also not unheard of. And with the sun beating down until 21:00 at the peak of summer, it would be nice for the rare evening event (but only between Memorial Day and Labor Day ).