Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia

25–3. Occasions for wear
The following are appropriate occasions for personnel to wear the Army blue mess and blue evening mess uniforms.
a. Social functions of a general or official nature, held after retreat.
b. All private, formal social functions held after retreat.
c. The Army blue mess evening mess uniform is the most formal uniform worn by Army female personnel.
25–4. Materials
a. Wool barathea, dark blue, 14–ounce weight, Army shade 150 or 450.
b. Wool gabardine, dark blue, 11– or 14.5–ounce weight, Army shade 150 or 450.
c. Wool elastique, dark blue, 15–ounce weight, Army shade 150 or 450.
d. Wool tropical, dark blue, 9–ounce weight, Army shade 150 or 450.
e. Polyester and wool blend gabardine, dark blue, 9.5–ounce weight, Army shade 450.
f. Polyester and wool blend fabric in plain weave, dark blue, 9.5–ounce tropical weight, Army shade 450.
25–5. Jacket, Army blue mess
a. Design. The jacket will be made from an approved specification or pattern.
b. General description. The jacket is cut along the lines of an evening dress coat, descending to the point of the hips
and slightly curved to a peak in back and in front. The coat has a notched collar with a branch of service colored lapel
insert and is fully lined, with an inside vertical pocket on the right side. The coat front has six gold 20-ligne buttons.
Two 20-ligne buttons, joined by a 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. Lapels. The lapels of the Army blue jacket are rayon, acetate, or other synthetic fabric with a satin face in the
following colors.
(1) General officers, except chaplains: dark blue.
(2) All chaplains: black.
(3) All other officers: the first named color of their basic branch of service. (See para 28–19.)
(4) Enlisted personnel: dark blue.
d. Shoulder knots (officers only). (See fig 25–11.)
Figure 25–11. Shoulder knot
(1) General description. The shoulder knot is made from 1 ⁄4–inch diameter cord of gold bullion, synthetic metallic
gold, or gold-colored nylon or rayon. The shoulder knot is formed of four plaits, composed of three cords interlaced as
one, and rounded at the top with a gold 20-ligne button positioned in the upper end of the knot. The knot is no more
than 4 1 ⁄2 inches in length and 1 7 ⁄8 inches in width, conforming to the shoulder and stiffened on the underside with a
flexible backing, covered with dark blue or black cloth. The flexible backing has an attachment that is suitable for
fastening it to the shoulders of the jacket.
(2) How worn. Officers wear the shoulder knots attached to the shoulders of the Army blue jacket.
e. Sleeve ornamentation.
AR 670–1 3 February 2005
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