Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia

23–3. Occasions for wear
The following are appropriate occasions for personnel to wear the Army white, all-white, and evening white 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.
23–4. Materials
a. White jacket and skirt.
(1) Polyester and rayon blend fabric in gabardine weave, 6– or 8–ounce weight, Army white.
(2) Texturized polyester serge, 6.5–ounce weight, Army white.
b. Black skirt, knee and full length.
(1) Wool tropical, 8.5–ounce weight, Army black shade 149.
(2) Polyester and wool blend fabric in tropical weave, 10–ounce weight, Army black shade 332.
23–5. Jacket, Army white mess
a. Old version. The jacket is single breasted with a natural-waist length and a shawl-type collar. It has a two-piece
front, and a two-panel back. The front pieces have three 20-ligne buttons on each side, and the shoulders have two
loops for the attachment of shoulder boards. Each sleeve has a band of white braid, 1 ⁄2 inch in width, with the lower
edge of the band 3 inches from the bottom of the sleeve.
(1) Shoulder ornamentation and insignia, old version jacket (officers only).
(a) General officers. Detachable shoulder knots are worn on each shoulder. A description of shoulder knots is
provided in paragraph 25–5d(1). (See fig 23–11.)
Figure 23–11. Shoulder knot
(b) Other officers. Detachable shoulder boards are worn on each shoulder, snapped to the jacket through the
shoulder loops, with the square end of the shoulder board positioned on the outside shoulder seam. A general
description of shoulder boards is in paragraph 28–8c of this regulation.
(2) Jacket sleeve ornamentation and insignia, old version jacket.
(a) 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 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, with one point facing upward. (See para
22–5d(1) and figs 23–4 through 23–7 for size and position of stars.)
124 AR 670–1 3 February 2005