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I was in the Navy in the 90s. Seems the Navy is trying hard to find a new working uniform for sailors. In my day it was dungarees (ugly but comfortable), coveralls (shipboard only and great for working in the engineering spaces), and two different types of working dress uniforms ( summer whites which were short sleeve button down shirt and white pants or the Johnny Cash which was long sleeve button down black shirt, black necktie, and black pants).
A topic on another board got me curious and I looked up the Navy uniforms of today. Dungarees are gone replaced by blue camouflage. They’re trying the same uniform without the digital cameo print and of a non-flammable material, just a solid blue print. The summer and winter working dress uniforms are gone replaced by a single uniform of black pants and khaki short sleeve shirt.
I remember we use to complain about not being allowed to walk off base in dungarees and how they looked like prison uniforms. Glad to see the two working uniforms gone and replaced by one uniform that isn’t pure white magnet for dirt and a hat that isn’t a Dixie cup. Wish they had gotten rid of the boondockers (boots) before I had joined.
I enlisted in the US Navy in 1961. I was one of the last that was issued a Flat Hat along with a White Hat. While in Boot Camp the Navy did away with the Flat Hat. We had Dress Blues and Dress Whites which were the only uniforms we could wear off base. We also had Undress Blues which was a Jumper with no piping and no kerchief and Undress Whites which was the same as Dress Whites but no kerchief. Working uniform was bell bottom dungarees and denim shirts. Several years later we could wear a White Dress shirt instead of a White Jumper for Dress Whites. Also was in when they transitioned from the 13 button pants to pants with a zipper.
Never heard the expression Dixie Cup hats. To us they were White Hats and White Hats only. No other type hat.
Basically:
Dress Blues.
Dress Whites.
Undress Blues.
Undress Whites.
Working dungarees with denim shirt.
White hats only with all.
I was in the Navy in the 90s. Seems the Navy is trying hard to find a new working uniform for sailors. In my day it was dungarees (ugly but comfortable), coveralls (shipboard only and great for working in the engineering spaces), and two different types of working dress uniforms ( summer whites which were short sleeve button down shirt and white pants or the Johnny Cash which was long sleeve button down black shirt, black necktie, and black pants).
A topic on another board got me curious and I looked up the Navy uniforms of today. Dungarees are gone replaced by blue camouflage. They’re trying the same uniform without the digital cameo print and of a non-flammable material, just a solid blue print. The summer and winter working dress uniforms are gone replaced by a single uniform of black pants and khaki short sleeve shirt.
I remember we use to complain about not being allowed to walk off base in dungarees and how they looked like prison uniforms. Glad to see the two working uniforms gone and replaced by one uniform that isn’t pure white magnet for dirt and a hat that isn’t a Dixie cup. Wish they had gotten rid of the boondockers (boots) before I had joined.
My spouse has been in since 2001. They change constantly. SO. MANY. UNIFORMS.
The "blueberries,"/digi blues which are the blue and grey camo NWUs you mention, are being phased out, being mandatorily replaced by a similar in digi green, which those attached to Riverine squadron were already using, as well as those attached to Marine Corps components. My husband just picked up a set of the "avocados," but hasn't switched over yet. By the end of the FY, plans to. He doesn't wear NWUs that often, currently, so it isn't that pressing.
The digi blues were really polarizing. Some liked them because they (as intended) were designed to show less wear and tear shipboard, because they're all the same colors as the paint used on ships. Those who disliked them disliked them because of the absurdity of blue camouflage, and found them less comfortable and wearable than the dungarees. For most of the current sailors who wore them, the dungarees and chambray shirts remain a fave and are missed. My husband is a senior chief, so he mostly wears the khakis, and still wears the summer whites on occasion, which look like milkman/Good Humor man outfits. He does a lot of funeral honors, so for those he wears dress blues/choker whites, depending on the calendar. He liked the dungarees and chambray, and also liked the Johnny Cashes.
Another new thing is that female junior enlisted/petty officers can now wear crackerjacks and dixie cups, no more jacket-and-tie blues, which I think is fantastic, and female chiefs and up can now wear the combination cover, instead of the bucket cover. Uniforms are currently moving toward more unisex.
One thing I always hated about the Navy was the uniforms, meaning the number of them, just absurd, and never made any sense why E7 and above could be different than E6 and below.
I was blessed to be in the sub force, where the uniform thing was sort of tossed aside, at least in my command. Rarely ever wore anything aside the dungerees, and wore coveralls underway. In port while the other crew were out, it was working whites and blues. Yes, I always found it absurd to have different uniform depending on the time of year. But no uniform inspections, never wore my dress uniform after my "A" graduation except for once, a change of command.
Shore duty though, wore BDUs only, never one single time wore something different, was pretty damn nice.
I am glad I got out before those ridiculous aquaflage things came out.
My spouse has been in since 2001. They change constantly. SO. MANY. UNIFORMS.
The "blueberries,"/digi blues which are the blue and grey camo NWUs you mention, are being phased out, being mandatorily replaced by a similar in digi green, which those attached to Riverine squadron were already using, as well as those attached to Marine Corps components. My husband just picked up a set of the "avocados," but hasn't switched over yet. By the end of the FY, plans to. He doesn't wear NWUs that often, currently, so it isn't that pressing.
The digi blues were really polarizing. Some liked them because they (as intended) were designed to show less wear and tear shipboard, because they're all the same colors as the paint used on ships. Those who disliked them disliked them because of the absurdity of blue camouflage, and found them less comfortable and wearable than the dungarees. For most of the current sailors who wore them, the dungarees and chambray shirts remain a fave and are missed. My husband is a senior chief, so he mostly wears the khakis, and still wears the summer whites on occasion, which look like milkman/Good Humor man outfits. He does a lot of funeral honors, so for those he wears dress blues/choker whites, depending on the calendar. He liked the dungarees and chambray, and also liked the Johnny Cashes.
Another new thing is that female junior enlisted/petty officers can now wear crackerjacks and dixie cups, no more jacket-and-tie blues, which I think is fantastic, and female chiefs and up can now wear the combination cover, instead of the bucket cover. Uniforms are currently moving toward more unisex.
The dungaree uniform was very comfortable. Officers who cared more about appearance than function didn’t like seeing sailors in ranks with different shades of blue uniforms since they gradually faded through wear. They’re testing a different working uniform. Instead of digital blue it’s solid blue and made from a non-flammable material. Wonder who thought giving sailors a flammable uniform was a good idea? Agree the number of uniforms is ridiculous. One full dress uniform, one working dress uniform, one shipboard working uniform, and option of coveralls for shipboard use only. When I was in it was mainly the engineers wearing the coveralls.
Sailors wear the Navy's Type I uniform aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee, June 11, 2014. The clothing has been widely panned by sailors as uncomfortable and heavy, and was found to be unsafe near fire.
DAVID KOLMEL/U.S. NAVY PHOTO
By WYATT OLSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: August 4, 2016
The Navy is mothballing the unpopular digital-blue camouflage uniform sailors must wear while working ashore.
Starting Oct. 1, sailors can begin wearing a green camouflage uniform formally known as NWU Type III.
Regarding uniforms: I was surprised to see a short film, recently made, about life on an aircraft carrier that focussed on a kitchen or galley (I guess they have several on carriers.) Anyway, what got me was that all the cooks and food handlers were wearing camo fatigues and/ or camo T-shirts (female included) in the cooking and serving areas. I would have expected these people to be wearing white clothing. None were wearing caps or head netting, bouffant caps or caps of any kind.
On a related note, I was recently chatting with a retired Air Force Officer and he and his wife complained about all the uniform changes they went through and how many types they had to buy, only to find a change published!
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