Civilian Mess Jackets

[longhuntr74]

http://usafflagranks.com/unknown_brigadier_general.html

I happened to be watching They Were Expendable this weekend, and noted a US Army officer in a white tropical uniform at the dance in the beginning of the film. I'm fairly certain I've seen a photo of "Dugout Doug" wearing one in the Islands (Philippines) as well.

Just some interesting "flotsam and jetsam" regarding US military uniforms of "days of yore".

T.

Todd,
The US Army just "discontinued" the service whites (the uniform on that link) from the inventory about 3 years ago in the same change message where they published the the transition guidance from the green Class A uniform to the new ASU (essentially a modified version of the old dress blue uniform). Until that time we had a white uniform that was cut nearly identical to the green uniform...but nobody wore it, which is probably why they got rid of it.

The did, however, keep the white mess uniform and evening mess uniform as an authorized evening uniform (probably for senior level officers who attend summertime joint service dining functions where many personnel from other services may be wearing a white uniform). It's a sharp uniform and only costs about $350 for the jacket and pants. Jacket is a white mess jacket cut exactly the same as the blue mess jacket but with same colored lapels (instead of the traditional branch colored satin). Pants are high-waisted black flat-front tux pants with a black satin stripe down the outseam. The differentiation between the mess and evening mess are black tie, pleated shirt, cummerbund vs. white tie, stiff front shirt, and white waistcoat.

But about when one is going out to a public event where there is no dress code?

I'm not clear about when this style of jacket is appropriate.

and the problem is....?

When it is not dress code...social norms apply. Again, if everybody is going to be wearing tux jackets and black tie...attempting to wear RSR (an inherently MILITARY style of dress...or rather semi-dress) will have you as the odd man out...and not in a good way. I agree there's nothing wrong with standing out due to style and class...but to be under-dressed is not desirable IMHO.

Mess jackets...when are they appropriate? Only for dressy black tie or white tie occasions. For Highland attire, I'd say they would be appropriate at any event that you would properly wear a PC, Regulation Doublet, and even some of the more formal doublets if you paired the jacket with white tie, stiff shirt, and pique waistcoat.

I'd go so far as to say that a mess jacket (or a PC or doublet) would be out of place at a black tie private affair at a friend's house...in which case a dinner jacket (saxon) or Argyll jacket (highland) would be called for.

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 ).

If you see a white jacket in the civilian world, most of the time it will be a white dinner jacket. Very classy. Anybody ever seen a white mess jacket outside of military uniforms, ship crew uniforms, or wait staff?