Question for Squids - Did BMI kill Bell Bottoms and Chambray?

[pmclaine]

For the last few years Ive been thinking that the Navy denim bell bottoms and chambray shirts were the ultimate ship board uniform especially when compared to the blueberry camouflage they currently have adopted and are seeking to discard.

I couldn't figure out why the Navy would discard a uniform with so much tradition and functionality. It was machine washable, all cotton not likely to melt in a fire, probably shed grease paint and whatever other chemicals, or fluids, get splashed on sailors maintaining a ship. Couldn't have cost too much and wasn't difficult to maintain.

The hat probably sucked unless you could look all Steve McQueen cool as in The Sandpebbles



An '03 man no less....



Its made by the Korean enablers but its a good shirt.

Finally a full cut shirt, not skinny metrosexual cool - it will cover a pistol without letting you read the rollmarks on the slide. It has enough material on the sleeves so you can actually roll them, you could even give them a Marine Corps roll up to the bicep to display the beach guns.

I bought something similar for $70 bucks from REI and its a ridiculously ghey trim in cut.

This "skinny jean" trend has to go. It sucks.

So happy with my $60 shirt I called up ATF and let them know its a great product and Id pay more if they made the same in the US.

Anyway I didn't come here to advertise a shirt.

What did you Navy peeps think of the chambray and bell bottoms? As great as the shirt is the pants would have to really suck if the uniform wasn't liked.

The only reason I could see to abandon the traditional uniform would be because typical US body mass index exceeded the tight hip cut of the jean bell bottoms. I don't think Ive ever seen a picture of a fat ass sailor in jeans and chambray.

Any thoughts from the Marine Corps Transportation Department regarding the old work uniform?

Is it a good thing its gone or was it a mistake to abandon what I think was a sensible, easy to maintain work uniform that was probably somewhat easy on the wallet to purchase?

Not only was the uniform wearable in my guessing mind but when you think of guys winning the war in the Pacific from the decks of carriers, BBs, destroyers, subs and transports they were wearing that chambray and denim. Thats a tradition to maintain and honor.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

VVV This is what killed the traditional Navy Uniform.

I mean... who wanted to be confused with one of the Village People when you could have blue Multicam? Really screwed up leave in Subic when you were being chased by guys dressed up as a cop an Indian and a Steelworker.



Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[pmclaine]

So I had to look up Alex Briley knowing he was one of the Village People but wondering if he had ever been in the service.....didnt realize its thought the man in the "Falling Man" photo from 9/11 is thought to be his brother.

For Jonathan Briley alone and what he went through as he fell Afghanistan should be nothing but glass and ash.

 

[fdkay]

I did my time wearing the flat pockets, bell bottom dungarees.
They were okay, on the VERY few female sailors that had good bodies, they were AWESOME.
Good gawd, they would hug that ass and fill in the crack.
The bell bottoms were supposedly chosen so you could remove the pants without removing your shoes, when you fell overboard, you took them off, knotted the pants leg, opened the waist area as well as you could, swung them over your head to introduce air and use them as a flotation device.
The pockets were flat so you couldn't put anything in them.
They then went to a different cut of trousers in the late nineties with different fabric for the shirts.
Those had functional pockets and were looser fitting around the ass and thighs so they were more comfortable for some.
That uniform never fit anyone.
Then they decided the new ones needed fire retardant, which left streaks in fabric after the first couple of washings.
Then they decided to go with light weight coveralls, yet still retained the dungarees, so you had to have both and you had to have "inspection" ready versions of both.
Then, everyone else was getting new BDU's and the Navy decided they wanted in on the action.

 

[sandwarrior]

I have to agree with pmc. The old uniforms seemed a lot more sensible than the new "we can't find you in the water" cammies.

I can't say how it is shipboard, but I think we ought to have all services adopt one OD type dungaree or fatigue. If you get deployed to a theatre, then you get issued appropriate camoflage.

This shit of changing uniforms costs billions with each change.

The other thing is maintenance of the uniform. I understand the military wanting to look sharp. But, at some point that shit needs to end. You wear fatigues because your out there working. You're gonna get dirty. Strutting around in starch-board fatigues is pointless as that wears off in ten minutes. Not to mention starching to military levels is extremely hard on garments.

If I may make a suggestion a good all around shirt is the original Wrangler denim shirt. They run in the $30-$40 range, depending on size and where you are at. They have the Pearl snaps instead of buttons, but I think you should be able to get over that. It takes a while to wear them in. But, you won't wear them out quickly.

 

[WATERWALKER]

It took a Marine to make the Navy dungarees look good. Just sayin...

 

[JimmyAGR]

I was in when they changed to the uniform that would melt on your body in a fire, not a good idea. They then went back to dungarees. While deployed we wore camo BDUs as the bell bottoms didn't work well tucked in boots. The Navy is getting away from the "blueberries" and now it is type 3s. My son's are complaining of the cost as each set with name tags, etc is over $100. I agree that all the services should pick a set of BDUs and if needed when in theater issue what ever is appropriate.

 

[308pirate]

The US Navy needs to get its collective head out of its ass and rationalize its uniforms once and for all.

The Royal Navy has had a grand total of TWO working uniforms since WW2 and the latest one (on the right below) came in 2015 or so. They are the exact same for all ranks, from Able Seaman to Admiral, with the exception of rank shoulder tabs and the beret device.


Since the early 1970s, USN uniform policy has been nothing but a clusterfuck for all ranks, officers included. And now everyone's going to wear green camo?

Thank God I'm out.

 

[fdkay]

It's bad enough for the men, the women's seabag requirement was completely fucking stupid.
I believe they knocked it down a bit since I retired 10+ years ago.
I remember having the working blues (Johnny Cash's)
working whites
salt & peppers (which they did away with in the mid-80's)
Dress blues
Dress whites
Dungarees (one of 3 versions)
then came the coveralls for shipboard use, while still having all of the above
The BDU's came about after I retired
As well as the, whatever the fuck you call those NJROTC/Air Force wannabe things you have to wear now.

 

[308pirate]

If you want a service that knows how to clean up its uniform issues, look at the US Coast Guard: same uniforms for everyone with the appropriate rank badges and cap insignias.

Nobody in the Coast Guard seems to have trouble telling a seaman from a petty officer from a chief from a lieutenant commander......

Only Navy exception: only officers and CPOs get service dress whites (chokers)

Get rid of the officer "collar devices". Other navies have no clue what they fucking mean but they understand gold stripes (see RN uniform above)

Service dress blue, all ranks
Double breasted coat, gold buttons officers and CPOs, silver buttons lower ranks
Slacks, white long sleeve shirt with slip on shoulder boards for ALL, black tie
Comination cover (USN eagle for lower ranks), optional black garrison cap (same as today)
Soft shoulder boards for all ranks (officer/CPO same as today, new ones with chevrons or stripes for E1 - E6)

Winter working blue, all ranks
Same as service dress blue without the double breasted coat
Windbreaker jacket (same as today) or black wool sweater with soft shoulder board on both

Summer working blue, all ranks
Same as winter working blue, except short sleeve white shirt and no tie
Officers wear hard shoulder boards, CPO and lower ranks soft shoulder boards

Summer white, all ranks
Same as summer working blue except white trousers instead of black
Officers and CPO: white shoes

Service dress white: same as today, officers and CPO only


You want a small, practical seabag, there you go.