AstroBoy Online Forums

Dan, since you were in the navy, I figured you may know, or know a site I can learn, where the idea / design of the "traditional" sailor's uniform came from. You know, like the kind Astro was wearing on the cake. I tried doing a google search, but all I came up with was gushy articles about how sailor suits look just "oh-so-cyuut" on toddlers, how they are being used in Japan as school uniforms, and how it was a famous painting by some famous artist I can't remember featuring a very young British Royal prince wearing an "oh-so-cyuut!" sailor suit that made parents want to run out and get them for their kids.

No, I'm actually looking for info on the real uniform itself, like,why does it look like that, they're white in summer, navy blue in winter right?, are they designed like that for a real practial purpose, or just do be different from the Army and Air Force? Stuff like that. Also seems like they only seem to be worn by seamen who are swabbin' the deck.

Thanks,

J

Well....the Navy endress blue enlisted uniform goes back to the American civil war but the design itself is a mish mash of history...

The Dixie Cup or Doggie Dish or White Hat came into use in 1940 as an all around hat or "cover". It replaced the Civil War era "Buster Brown" cap worn by both the Union and Confederate Navies. The dixie cup also served another purpose...that of life preserver. You can actually hold your head out of the water because of the air you could trap in a Dixie Cup.

The flap on the back of the dress blues and dress whites used to be a button on cloth which kept hair tars and greases off the dress uniform when there were no hair length regullations and Sailors "tar'd and greased" their locks to keep them neat.

The bell bottom pants of both uniforms allow the sailor to remove his pants and use them as a life preserver by putting the legs over the shoulders and throwing the waist end through the air above the head.

The neckerchief tie is a hold over from the tie worn during the war of 1812.

By far the most idiotic thing I wish the Navy did away with on the dress blues is the 13 button flap on the front, which makes bathroom calls a pain in the butt. The 13 buttons have no significance other than to give the Sailor the reason to call his admiral a ton of (beeeeeeeep) for allowing such a torture device to exist.

Also on the dress blues there's three white stripes on the sleaves and on the back flap. They have no significance other than to make the dress blues look cool.

Now some Sailors still do this, my last set of uniform blues has them. Veteran Sailors have what are called "liberty cuffs" or "liberty colors" embroidered on the sleaves and flaps of their dress blues. When you went out on liberty in the old days, before terrorism made wearing uniforms on liberty a no no. You might have a gold dragon, a white tiger and a map of the Pacific Ocean embroidered into your uniform. Now a days it can get you in trouble but I didn't care. I walked out of my retirement flashing my liberty colors. I've since added a nice smirking astro on the back of my dress white flap.

Well....the Navy endress blue enlisted uniform goes back to the American civil war but the design itself is a mish mash of history...

Ah so that's what it's called.

The Dixie Cup or Doggie Dish or White Hat came into use in 1940 as an all around hat or "cover". It replaced the Civil War era "Buster Brown" cap worn by both the Union and Confederate Navies. The dixie cup also served another purpose...that of life preserver. You can actually hold your head out of the water because of the air you could trap in a Dixie Cup.

This dixie cup type of hat, that's the kind of hat the boy is wearing in that other thread? And the buster brown cap your talking about, I guess that's the uh, Donald Duck type of hat that looks kinda like a smooshed marshmallow? Neat trick with the dixie hat though.

The flap on the back of the dress blues and dress whites used to be a button on cloth which kept hair tars and greases off the dress uniform when there were no hair length regullations and Sailors "tar'd and greased" their locks to keep them neat.

Isn't that flap part of the neckerchief?

The bell bottom pants of both uniforms allow the sailor to remove his pants and use them as a life preserver by putting the legs over the shoulders and throwing the waist end through the air above the head.

Yeah I thought those bell bottoms were for ease of removal. I'd like to know more about how they are used as a life preserver. Got to tie all three ends closed right?

By far the most idiotic thing I wish the Navy did away with on the dress blues is the 13 button flap on the front, which makes bathroom calls a pain in the butt. The 13 buttons have no significance other than to give the Sailor the reason to call his admiral a ton of (beeeeeeeep) for allowing such a torture device to exist.

OMG Really! I have some blue jeans that have kinda the same thing, instead of a regular zipper it has like 6 buttons to undo, I took to leaving the top two "fly buttons" undone so all I had to do undo the main button (under the belt).

Now some Sailors still do this, my last set of uniform blues has them. Veteran Sailors have what are called "liberty cuffs" or "liberty colors" embroidered on the sleeves and flaps of their dress blues. When you went out on liberty in the old days, before terrorism made wearing uniforms on liberty a no no. You might have a gold dragon, a white tiger and a map of the Pacific Ocean embroidered into your uniform.

On liberty = getting off the ship while in port to have a look around, shop, etc, right?

Now a days it can get you in trouble but I didn't care. I walked out of my retirement flashing my liberty colors. I've since added a nice smirking astro on the back of my dress white flap.

OOoh! Picture picture picture! :wahah:

J

Isn't that flap part of the neckerchief?

No, the neckerchief slips under the flap and around the neck line.

I'd like to know more about how they are used as a life preserver. Got to tie all three ends closed right?

You tie off the leg ends and clamp the waist end into a bottleneck with your hands. I think it was a good idea of the fleet but now they're going to cammie uniforms which will be harder to remove in the event your ship gets slammed by a cruise missile. Cammies are bad idea anyway, I mean, where are you going to hide on a one color warship? I mean are the bad guys going to walk across the water?

On liberty = getting off the ship while in port to have a look around, shop, etc, right?

Yes or as today we put it..."Going off ship to do stupid things that make Americans look bad. God my last cruise was full of idiots.

picture of white flap forcoming