Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia

22–2. Composition
a. The Army white mess uniform comprises the Army white jacket, black high-waisted trousers, white semiformal
dress shirt with a turndown collar, black bow tie, and black cummerbund (see figs 22–1 and 22–3).
b. The Army white evening mess uniform comprises the Army white jacket, black high-waisted trousers, white
formal dress shirt with a wing collar, white vest, and white bow tie (see fig 22–2).
22–3. Occasions for wear
The following are appropriate occasions for personnel to wear the Army white mess and white evening mess uniforms.
a. Social functions of a general or official nature, held after retreat.
b. Private, formal dinners or other private, formal social functions held after retreat.
22–4. Materials
a. White jacket and vest.
(1) Cotton twill, 8.2–ounce weight, white.
(2) Polyester and wool blend fabric in plain weave, 9–ounce tropical weight, white.
(3) Polyester and wool blend fabric in gabardine, 10.5-ounce weight, white.
(4) Polyester texturized woven serge, 6.5–ounce weight, white.
b. Trousers. Commercial, black, of a tuxedo-type lightweight material.
22–5. Jacket, Army white
a. Design. The jacket will be made from an approved specification or pattern.
b. General description. The jacket, which is cut on the lines of an evening dress coat, descends to the point of the
hips and is slightly curved to a peak in back and in front. Two 25-ligne buttons, joined by a small gold or gold-colored
chain about 1 1 ⁄2 inches long, are worn in the upper buttonholes. The shoulders have a device for the attachment of
shoulder knots on officer uniforms.
c. Shoulder knots. (See para 24–5d and fig 22–11.)
Figure 22–11. Shoulder knot
d. Jacket sleeve ornamentation.
(1) General officers wear a cuff of white mohair or mercerized cotton braid 4 inches in width, positioned 1 ⁄8 inch
from the bottom edge of each sleeve. General officer grade insignia is centered on the outside of the sleeves, 1 inch
above the upper edge of the cuff braid. When general officers wear their branch insignia, it is centered on the outside
of the sleeves, 1 inch above the upper edge of the cuff braid. Grade insignia is positioned 1 inch above the branch
insignia. If branch insignia is worn, general officers will wear the non-subdued, metal pin-on insignia. Grade insignia is
embroidered white cloth or silver bullion. General officer stars are 1 inch in diameter and are worn with one point
facing upward. The following describes general officer stars:
(a) General insignia is four stars, with 1 1 ⁄4 inches between the midpoints, centered horizontally on the outside of the
sleeves (see fig 22–4).
114 AR 670–1 3 February 2005