Question for military MNers

[RexManning]

A dress code question - what would you say civilians should wear if military personnel are wearing 'number ones'?

Lounge suit or skirt suit or smart dress (maybe jacket /blazer). Miniatures perhaps.

Smart - think professional workwear. Skirt and blouse, jacket, trouser suit, trousers and smart top.

No jeans, no party wear, no holiday clothes, no excessive flesh on show.

Blues are ceremonial dress, so something that wouldn’t be out of place at a formal occasion eg a wedding or formal work event, so suits (jacket and tie), cocktail dresses, formal wear.

Thank you. What are miniatures please?

Would a teenage boy need to be in a suit too?

Depends what kind of occasion it is. Generally speaking, if it's a day time event then I'd say the kind of clothes you'd wear to a more formal wedding. Wedding guest clothes seem very open to interpretation, though, so smart and nothing too short/flesh flashing, basically. And yes, suits for men/teenagers would be appropriate.

Also depends where you'll be/if you'll be in a Mess etc.

No1s are more commonly seen at weddings by the groom so def occasion wear.

Yes teenager needs to be in a suit.

What's the occassion? Sometimes you can get away with dressing down.

Thank you, this is very helpful. Formal wedding I can do.

Are ‘blues’ the same as ‘number ones’?

It is a daytime memorial service in a large church. Organised by the family rather than by the military but a large number of military personnel will be in attendance.

Blues are No1s

Miniatures = mini version of medals.

Army or RAF? RAF No.1s are equivalent to Army No.2 dress, but it’s the highest level of dress they have. So what that means is that they wear them at both the most formal of events (like weddings etc.), and less formal ones.

You’d be better off just dressing for the event- i.e. wear what you would normally choose to wear for a wedding if that’s the occasion. If it’s a military event and a dress code is required (like a formal mess do, or ceremonial event with royalty present), then guidance should be published so you know what’s expected. If it’s just a parade, wear something relatively smart and you’ll be fine. You’ll find people wearing all sorts.

Or, turn up in a tracksuit if that’s what you want to do- you’re not the one on the military, so it’s all just expectations you’re putting into yourself anyway.

OK, thank you. Not something that a civilian would have, then.

Neither - Navy.

It’s a memorial service in a large church.

Then, as above, just wear what you would wear to the same occasion if it wasn’t with the presence of the RN. A lot of the formal rules and expectations (hats, etc.) don’t really apply anymore as they once did- though obviously you can follow them if you want to. But I’d just wear something smart that befits the occasion- a trouser suit would be more than fine. The key is for you to feel that you’ve dressed smartly enough to feel comfortable. Nobody else will really give a stuff, or even notice what you’re wearing.

If it's a memorial, smart subdued clothes such as you wear to a funeral, I would stick to navy/dark grey/purple rather than black. Dresses with patterns are fine if subdued. Jacket not compulsory for a teen but depends how close you are to a certain extent.

Thank you, this is helpful, but is there a particular reason to avoid black? I would normally wear at least some black to a formal funeral unless specifically requested by the family.

Civilians won’t have miniatures!

A civvy would have one to wear in memory of a relative, if applicable. I have a full sized one I could wear in future when my father passes, for example. A civvy would wear them on the opposite side to a veteran to signify they're doing so in memory or tribute.

That’s really interesting, thank you, but if that applied to me I wouldn’t need to ask about dress codes. I have family in the US military (specifically the Marines) but the jargon and etiquette are totally different.