looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess undress

Ahh at last, after about a dozen goes I can finally post in the quaterdeck....so...

I'm looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess undress, I have been told that the Tailors under slops in Nelson sell it for about £120 anyone know if this is true and if it's any good.

Your Aye

Creeper

 

I haven't got a clue nowadays mate, bought mine in Bernards the Tailors for £200 nine years ago, that included dress Shirt, cumberbund, Dicky Bow and braces, it must have been good quality as it has been rolled out twice a year ever since, it has played drunken rugby, bouncy castles several times, trampoline and bumper cars and it came out unscathed-unlike its owner!

 

May be a stupid question, but why do you need to buy it? Surely you've been issued with it?

If you do need to buy in Pompey there's Louis Bernard or Bauns in Queen Street. Or you could try eBay!

 

Mess Undress isn't issued to Senior Rates, I don't even think it's issued to ociffers come to that! It's an expense that needs to be weighed up by how often do I attend mess dinners/ functions, how often do I get drunk out of my mind on those occasions and should I risk my No1 uniform, I bought mine after a couple of years of continually trashing my Nos 1's!

As an aside and not wishing to take the piss creeper but have you looked at your profile, I haven't laughed so much in ages, I guess it took a few attempts to put up that post!!:

"Good morning shipmates..........................mess undress"
"Good afternoon shipmates...........................mess undress"
"Good evening shipmates............................mess undress" etc

 

Au contraire, Officers get measured and issued with 1B, 1C and 2A/B whilst in BRNC. The only difference between 2A and B is the waistcoat. Not sure about SRs but I'm surprised you have to pay for something which, as uniform, you may be compelled to wear!

 

I stand corrected, we aren't however compelled to wear ours, we get the option of looking ridiculous in our No1 uniform, dress shirt and dicky bow!

But Angry, now that I know you are a real Doc I have a question; I have this rash.... :lol:

 

We SRs are not compelled to wear MUD, it's purely optional and any mess dinner will have the alternate of No1s -ve medals with a bow tie in the dress code.

Concur with the cheef, didn't want to trash the No1s so went for the mess undress. Also, I was a 2 star PO for a while so didn't want to advertise this by wearing 1s to a mess dinner. IMHO MUD looks the dogs, and it's got me more than a few free wets when attending civvy dinners

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

However come the time to replace it you have to buy. After wearing mine at least once a week as OOD/ DLC for several jobs it was getting pretty kicked in and pretty expensive to replace.

 

As the folk have said mess undress has to be bought by the individual, as I'm working on a RAF base (Brampton/Wyton) I feel I need to do my bit and attend as many mess funtions as possible.

chieftiff - For some reason everytime I posted the topic I got a database error so I kept on trying

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

I got mine from Baun and Co on Queen Street, Pompey. I think it was £200 including a shirt and 1 mini medal. (It was 6 years ago so I've got some more medals and the price may have risen) The material isn't quite the same quality as No1s though, but good enough for pissing up in!

If I remember, Turner Virr, who have the contract for making No1 Suits are quite reasonable and they use the same cloth as No1s

If you're quick you may get a bargain from Jack Blair/Louis Bernard outside Nelson as it's got a 50% off sale as it's closing down

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

I got both of mine from Turner & Virr. Made the wife buy them for me in return for all those frocks I get her for Summer & Christmas functions. If I recall they come in at about £170. Its the minatures that cost, and the cheapest I found was Worcester Medals and they have a web site. As for the MUD, brilliant quality and I've yet to wear the knees out begging for a leg over of SWMBO!

 

Agree with your views on it looking the dog's. I bought mine off an oppo going outside who had no further use for it.

I was interested to hear your comment about wearing it at civvy dinners as I have often thought it would be good for a few free wets but didn't know if it was the "done thing".

Have others on RR worn their MUD at civvy functions?

MM

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

Has an email from Turner Virr & Co Ltd and they are quoting 170 for jacket and trousers not bad if it's the same cloth as No 1's

 

Bowties to wear with mess dress/undress?

There are now available several lots of "Officers Evening Bow Ties" for sale on eBay. According to the seller, they were made (in 1952) by a company called "Winfields".

Does anyone know anything about this company? Particularly the quality of their bow ties? I cannot find anything on the internet about them, so I assume they are out of business, and I was hoping that someone here had experience with it.

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

Wearing MUD at civvy functions is a "taste" call but does as has been said come in very handy. As a single sprog I was invited with about 4 others to an industry presentation in Birmingham, all black tie, not being Army our answer was to wear Mess Kit - very good results :twisted:

The other services are the same, Officers get a grant (RN sadly not) and the SR get to decide whether to splash out.

Turner Virr were previously Dewhursts who made the contract uniforms for BRNC. Very very poor quality, I remember pulling up my trousers before a practise divisions and the waistband coming off in my hands and two trouser legs falling away either side.. 8O

There is another tailor that I am told offers their services to Northwood (I can check) they do uniforms for all three services, excellent quality and the prices were excellent too (RN Officers MUD at Gieves £1900 at Northwood £350). I can ask my friends there if any needs more details.

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

I purchased undress from Bernard's, when they first appeared for SRs in the 70s, for a Summer ball in Pembroke.
Bees Knees! (even if I do say so myself :wink: ) mind you I was a bit more athletic looking then so the cummerbund fitted very well indeed, and it went down a treat with some of the visiting ladies.
The only problem I had was Pusser had not then issued a PO rate badge for the jacket, nor even really decided what /where it was to go - so I used a tie badge on the lapel. Not quite uniform dress code, but no-one complained.
I still have it hanging in the wardrobe - sad innit ?

 

Just a quick update - popped into Turner & Virr and got fitted for mess undress, jacket & trousers tailored to fit, also bought a shirt, braces and medals, all in just under £250

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

Mess undress arived last week - very happy with it, all alterations to fit were done well and was sent out a week and a half earlier that quoted.

One happy bunny

 

Re: looking for any advice on the best place to buy mess und

I've got to agree with the Turner Virr & Co. Ltd. option (http://www.turnervirr.co.uk/) - I brought mess undress from them when I got my PO's up and have worn it on mumerous occassions since. Am now a Chief - just have the badge taken off and buttons put on and bob's your live in lover! They're top quality so no worries there. I got mine fitted over in the old Fisgard building opposite Raleigh, but there's a tailoress who works for them in Guzz called June Carter who visits Drake onceor twice a week. If her numbers haven't changed, they are: 01752 815586 and 07966 02163. Give her a bell and she'll sort you out. Louis Bernards etc actually buy their stuff from Turner Virr and sell it on at hugely inflated prices. Turner Virr also do the shirt/bow tie/shoes/studs/medals etc as well - happy days. :lol: