Table of Content
The gold buttons worn on the dress blue coat feature one of the earliest Marine Corps emblems—the eagle and anchor with an arc of 13 stars—and have been a part of the uniform since 1804, making them the oldest military insignia in continued use. A close-cropped nape sheathed behind a rigid, red-trimmed collar. White gloves folded perfectly—left over right—across a flawless brass buckle. A scarlet stripe along the seam of blue trousers lead to a pair of black shoes polished so highly that you can count in their reflection six gold buttons leading up the broad, medal-adorned chest of a U.S. Recruits with Platoon 4040, Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, try on their blue dress coats for the first time Aug. 21, 2018, on Parris Island, SC. (Photo by Cpl. Vivien Alstad/USMC)When I enlisted into the Marines, we were not issued a dress blues uniform in boot camp.
The figures for chapters 2 and 3 are still being compiled and will be updated as new pictures are provided. If you need to see a figure and it isn't available, you can look in the "G" version of the Regs found below, but these figures were painted in the 1980s and many changes to the uniforms and accessories have changed since then. The Service Dress White uniform is informally called “chokers” due to the standing collar. Early army uniforms were influenced by both British and French traditions. Our USMC Male Enlisted Blue Dress Uniform Builder makes it a snap to assemble a complete Blue Dress “A” or “B” Uniform, with every item you need to square you away from head to toe. Simply enter your Enlisted grade, and the Builder will automatically select the appropriate items, from trousers to chevrons.
Shoes
The quatrefoil was simply popular French military fashion of the day, copied by both the Army and Marines. Marine lore has it that during ship-to-ship fighting in the War of 1812, Marine officers wore a rope cross on their covers to distinguish themselves to their own sharpshooters high in the ship’s riggings. Embroidered into the top of a Marine officer’s hat—called a “cover” by Marines—is an ornate, cross-shaped braid. Like much of the equipment procured by the Marines during its history, they made the best of what they were given. Because I was in the formation’s front row going face down would give the unit a bad look.
At the start of World War II, the Marine Corps had four standard uniforms. Dress Blues could be worn with a white canvas belt, a leather belt, or a blue cloth belt for officers, but their issue ceased in early 1942 except for recruiters and ceremonial units for the duration of the war. The green winter service uniform, issued with a coat and a shell cordovan garrison belt for enlisted men with a Sam Browne belt for officers , was initially worn as a field uniform . The garrison cap was reintroduced, originally to be worn overseas, but quickly became standard. The summer khaki service uniform featured pointed pocket flaps, and the trousers had no rear pockets as opposed to the Army's trousers having both front and back pockets.
Dress Uniform
The eagle does, in fact, represent the proud nation the Corps defends. The globe represents its worldwide presence; and the anchor points to the Marine Corps’ naval heritage and its ability to access any coastline in the world. Together, the eagle, globe and anchor symbolize the commitment of the Corps to defend this nation—in the air, on land and at sea. Marines are taught early in their careers about the symbolic significance of their dress blues. Not all of the stories hold up upon close inspection.
There is also a forest or winter version made up of black/green/brown. These uniforms are worn actively in the field and deployed garrisons. The official Marine emblem of Eagle, Globe and Anchor appears in the camouflage design in both colorways. Whether you want to call it a sabre or a saber, the sword is the oldest weapon still in use by the U.S. military, and the Corps has two that may be worn as accoutrement to the dress blue uniform. The outgoing base general was having a Change of Command ceremony and had declared the uniform of the day to be dress blues.
Physical training uniform
All ranks wear a white peaked cap, blue trousers, white gloves and black dress shoes and socks. Officers wear a plain, collarless, white button up shirt. Full-sized medals are worn on the left chest, with ribbon-only awards worn on the right; Marksmanship Qualification Badges are not worn. Women wear pumps in place of shoes and may wear a skirt in place of slacks. This uniform is composed of a black, wool suit coat, trousers , white shirt and four-in-hand necktie .
Enlisted dress blues blouse, new and unused.Enlisted dress blues blouse, new and unused.Great for weddings, summer parades, whatever, still looks cool.Includes the white belt and arms patches. This blank was inspired by the most recognizable jacket of the Marine Corps, the Blue Dress Jacket. It is equivalent in composition and use to civilian black tie.
Typically, the only distinguishing features on Marine utilities are service and name tapes; Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem; rank insignia; breast insignia and the Red Patch. Navy officers and enlisted sailors assigned to Marine units are authorized to wear all Marine uniforms except the Dress and Evening Dress uniforms. When wearing Marine uniforms, Navy personnel must meet and adhere to Marine grooming and physical regulations, as well as replace Marine insignia with U.S. The "blood stripe" is found on the outside seams of the dress uniform trousers of NCOs, SNCOs, and officers. Tradition holds that it represents the high casualty rates of those leaders during the Battle of Chapultepec.
I was on active duty in the Marine Corps when 9/11 happened. The amount of support we received following the terrorist attacks was overwhelming. My unit was actually sent to New York City a few months after the towers collapsed to perform a concert for the people of New York.
