The US Marine Dress Blue uniform, also known as dress blues or simply blues, is a formal military uniform worn by members of the United States Marine Corps. It consists of several components, including a navy blue coat with brass buttons and red trim, navy blue trousers with a scarlet stripe down the leg, and navy blue trousers with a white belt or suspenders. The dress blue uniform is steeped in tradition and signifies respect, honor, courage, and commitment for those who wear it.
The most recognizable uniform of the Marine Corps is the Dress Blue uniform, often seen in recruiting advertisements. It is steeped in tradition and signifies respect, honor, courage, and commitment for those who wear it. The uniform comes with many intricate details such as gold buttons representing various battles fought by the Marine Corps throughout history, a white belt that represents purity of purpose, and red ribbons.
The Marine Corps Birthday Ball uniform for officers and SNCOs is the dress blue uniform (with blue trousers/skirt/slacks) or the evening dress uniform. This policy does not apply to Sgts.
Uniform regulations state that authorized insignia will be worn on the left breast of all service and dress coats. It may be worn at the individuals’ option on khaki shirts worn as the outer garment (with or without ribbons), utility coats, or the maternity work uniform coats.
Marines typically wear dress blues when off-base representing the Marine Corps as a whole. Officer blues have a white button-down shirt with french cuffs that can be worn with issue cufflinks. Medals are fastened on the left side of the jacket, ribbons, and badges on the right.
📹 How to Assemble Marine Dress Blues Belt Buckle
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How should USMC dress blues fit?
Dress blues blouses are fitted. They’re not loose. Chest size: With your arms relaxed at your sides, wrap the tape measure around your chest, just under your armpits.
Chest size: With arms relaxed, place the tape measure around the fullest part of the chest (usually just under the armpits). The tape should be straight and level. Inspect the fit by inserting a finger between the tape and body. Measure while wearing a shirt. If you’re not sure, go up a size so the blouse can be tailored.
Waist Size: If your waist is larger than your chest, get a larger chest size since the jacket tapers at the waist.
Blouse Length: Measure from the neck to just below the crotch.
Can I wear my dress blues after discharge?
A person who is honorably discharged from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force may wear their uniform from the place of discharge to their home within three months.
10:1393 (before the first semicolon of the first proviso of the first paragraph).
10:1393 (words after 1st semicolon of 1st proviso of 1st par.).
10:1393 (words between 3rd and 4th semicolons of 1st proviso of 1st par.).
Can I wear my backpack in dress blues?
Only bags for computers and briefcases. Servers can wear one strap across the left shoulder. And uniforms for work.
Can Marines wear their dress blues in public?
The Marine utility cover is a creased and peaked cap, while the Army uses a rounded patrol cap. Unlike the Army, Marines do not currently wear rank insignia on the cover. Instead, there is an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor in the middle of the cover. Marines wear woodland or desert MARPAT camouflage utilities. Marines roll the sleeves up, with the exception when deployed. The Army wears Operational Camouflage Pattern Army Combat Uniforms and rolled sleeves are authorized only at the unit level. The undershirt for Marines is olive green, and for the Army it is brown. Marines can’t wear their utility uniforms off-base while on leave or liberty, except in a vehicle or in an emergency. The Army allows more, but still doesn’t like it when uniforms are worn in social or drinking situations. The Marine service uniform is a green coat with a belted waist and matching trousers worn with a khaki shirt and tie. The Army green service uniform is a dark olive coat with a belted waist and contrasting drab trousers worn with a tan shirt and olive tie. The Marine blue dress uniform features a stand collar and red stripe in the trousers, while the Army blue dress uniform features an open collar worn with a white shirt and black tie, and a gold stripe on the trousers. The Marine service and dress uniforms display fewer items. The Army service uniform has insignia, badges, shoulder sleeve insignia, and tabs. Marines wear few items on their uniforms, while the Army wears more. Marine uniforms usually have only service and name tapes, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem, rank insignia, and a breast insignia (not worn in the field). Some Marines also wear the Red Patch. Marine service caps or barracks covers differ from their Army counterparts. The Marine cap sits higher and has a larger, more pronounced crown than the Army cap. This look dates back to the Marine barracks cover design used since World War II. Marine general officers’ service caps don’t have oak leaf embroidery around the headband like Army general officers’ caps. The Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have oak leaf embroidery on the front of their headbands. Marine officer rank insignia is different from Army insignia. Marine officers wear their insignia on their shirt collar, not on the epaulets like Army officers.
See also edit. Uniforms of the United States Armed Forces; Smith, Charles Richard; Charles H. Waterhouse. A Pictorial History: The Marines in the Revolution. USMC History Division. Retrieved 2008-08-22. Simmons, Edwin Howard. The Marines: A History, 4th edition. Annapolis, Maryland. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-790-9. Chenoweth, H. Avery, Col. USMCR; Nihart, Brooke, Col. USMC. Semper fi. The Illustrated History of the U.S. Marines. New York. Main Street. ISBN 978-1-4027-3099-3. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link); United States Marine Corps, Report on Marine Corps Duplication of Effort between Army and Navy, December 17, 1932. It describes the Continental Marines and USMC until 1932. It is available in scanned TIFF format from the archives of the Marine Corps University. Smith, Charles R., Marines in the Revolution: A History of the Continental Marines in the American Revolution, 1775–1783, illustrated by Major Charles H. Waterhouse, USMCR, History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. 20380, 1975. The forward and table of contents are online at the USMC History Bookstore. Marines in the Revolution. From the original on 12/16/2010. Retrieved 12/16/2010; Guidebook for Marines (18th ed.). Quantico, VA: Marine Corps Association. 2001, p. 11. From 2008-09-21. Retrieved 2008-09-05; USMC entry on Digger History; p.84 Simmons, Edwin H. The United States Marines: A History. Naval Institute Press, 2003; USMC Service Uniform in WW II. olive-drab.com; p.30 Rottman, Gordon L. US Marine Corps 1941-1945. Osprey; USMC WW II Camouflage Uniform. olive-drab.com; Shoup, Gen David M. (4 January 1960). Speech to staff. USMC History Division. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Borsh, Fred L.; Robert F. Dorr (March 16, 2009). The swagger stick reached its peak in the 1950s. Marine Corps Times. Gannett Company, p. 38. From 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-03-10. Alt URL: usmcvietnam.net Retrieved January 4, 2017. Home. jonathanfieldcollection.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017. Kelly, Kaitlin (20 November 2018). Female Marines will now wear the dress blue uniform. US Marine Corps. Retrieved 4 December 2021. File:USMC-02129.jpg Marine Corps Uniforms Marine Life. From 2009-08-23. Retrieved 2008-07-17. ALMAR 035/07: Directing wear of the MCCUU. Bacon, Lance M. (7 August 2017). Marines adopt new uniform rules for cammies and dress blues. Marine Corps Times. Retrieved January 9, 2019. Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform Policy Change Marines.mil Retrieved 2014-07-23.; ^ Freedman, David H.. Corps Business: The 30 Management Principles of the U.S. Marines. New York: All Marines must earn a tan belt by 2008. MCSysCom Infosheet PT uniform (PDF). From the original PDF on 9/10/08. Retrieved 10/31/07. Feedback wanted on PT threads. Marine Corps Times. 2005-10-27 From 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-30. Lance Cpl. Bryan G. Carfrey (2008-02-29). New running suit. Quantico Sentry. Retrieved 2008-03-14. Johnson, Kimberley (December 7, 2007). Conway unveils new running suit in Iraq. Marine Corps Times. From December 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-09. ^ Program Manager, ICE data sheets. ^ a b Kelly, Jack (April 12, 2009). Kill the pirates. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-04-14. Schogol, Jeff (7 August 2017). Marines will now wear green camouflage uniforms all year. marinecorpstimes.com Stars and Stripes. 25 February 2014. 3 February 2005. 3 Temperate, Hot-Weather, and Enhanced Hot-Weather Battle Dress Uniforms. Army Regulation 670–1: Uniforms and Insignia. United States Army, p. 17, para. 3–3 From the original PDF on July 26, 2007.
How do you wear dress blues?
Army Dress Blues overview. Your Army dress blues are for formal events. They include a white shirt, a black tie (or bow tie), an Army blue coat, and Army blue trousers. You can wear a beret with the Army dress blues, but you don’t have to. Your Army blue coat must have an ID badge, regimental insignia, branch insignia, hash marks, and overseas bars. You can also wear any medals and ribbons you have earned.
Can you kiss in dress blues?
Marsh said it was a little different. Be conservative in your actions. You can’t show affection in uniform. It’s good because when I’m gone for two months, she understands. She’s in the military too. Being a dual military couple is easier because we understand each other. The couple has four children. Two of them are in the military.
Can Marines wear dress blues after discharge?
(d) A person who is honorably discharged from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force may wear their uniform from the place of discharge to their home within three months.
Wearing by non-active duty personnel. Wearing insignia before promotion: authority; restrictions.
Wearing of insignia of higher grade before promotion to a grade above major general or rear admiral (frocking): authority; restrictions.
What do Marines wear under dress blues?
Dress blues: you can wear anything underneath. Some Marines have worn the shirts under their dress blues when it was cold. There is a long-sleeved shirt with cuffs that show when you move your arms, and a standard undershirt.
Can you wear dress blues anytime?
It can be worn year-round to all official functions when a dinner dress or full dress uniform is not required.
Can you wear your dress blues after you get out of the Marine Corps?
Former Marines can wear their dress blues to ceremonies and formal events.
📹 Ep 42: USMC Marine Corps Dress Blues / Recon Jack
Semper Fi everyone. Welcome to the latest installment of Recon Jack. I’m your host, United States Marine Corps veteran and …
When I was in (mid-70’s) Marine pilots would wear their Dress WHITE uniform to the Marine Corps birthday ball (I played softball with many Officer pilots at Cherry Point). What I found interesting is, they told me as the night wore on at the Marine Corps ball, they would play “aircraft carrier” where they would clear a long banquet table, fly around the room with their arms wide, and fly across the banquet table as if they were landing on a carrier … after someone poured an entire pitcher of beer across the table. 🍺 😳 Then two other officers would raise a belt to catch their feet as if arresting gear catching their tail hook 😂 I’m sure the base dry cleaners loved them. p.s. I still have my dress blues. Last time I wore them was to my brother’s funeral in 1976. The Few, the Proud – Semper Fi 👊🏻
Hi, I’m from Canada and an army(R), have u been thanked for ur service in the USMC. I want to say thank you so very much for your service. God bless u,ur family/friends and all the service personal of the U.S.A military. Lots a love from Canada. Semper fi my friend. Good luck and God bless u. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇺🇸🇺🇸🇨🇦🇨🇦