When is the white mess dress jacket worn?

[OceanDagger]

Hello all,

Brand new to the forum as I needed you advice. When is the white jacket worn with mess undress? Is it simply a personal preference or dictated by the time of year?

There's a Christmas event coming up and as an RNR unit most of the guys Ive asked don't know or simply wear dinner jackets themselves.

My white jacket is ready to go but the normal one still isn't back from tailors. :/

Many thanks!

 

[CmdKeen]

It is worn when it is Mess Dress not Undress for proper formal occasions, the civvie equivalent to white tie - 2As. The black waistcoat, which I've only really ever seen reservists wear, or a cummerbund is 2Bs, Mess Undress, for other occasions. Traf Night is usually 2A other mess dinners 2Bs though the key thing it to check on the invite!

That said at a reserve unit no-one is really going to care if you're in 2A or 2B just laugh at the poor soul in Destroyer Rig.

 

[OceanDagger]

Ah right, I was under the impression the white jacket had its own 2/A and 2/B equivalent, basically just replacing the normal jacket, i figured it was either summer waer or personal choice.

Its 2Bs if I recall as invite says mess undress. Ill just be using the cumberbund, though not that god awful polyester issued one!

 

[Spare_Rib]

I might be missing something but why are you wearing tropical mess undress to a Christmas event?! Cmdkeen is talking about the waistcoat, I think you're talking about the actual jacket that goes over the top? The tropical jacket would be worn as 2BWs, not 2Bs. I would check with the organisers.

 

[OceanDagger]

Yeah, thats what I was trying to figure out, I wasn't sure if it was just for tropics, as the label just said white. But you're right, Ill drop the head organiser a quick email, need to ask about something else anyways so its a good excuse

 

[CmdKeen]

Not even HMS President looks like this (any more)...

 

[alfred_the_great]

2AW or 2BW will be worn as dictated by the Mess Pres, but is in essence a tropical only rig.

2A and 2B are as described by @CmdKeen .

 

[northern-matelot]

When abroad or at sea in warm climates.

Bugger, beaten to it.

 

[slim]

When it's the only one that you can borrow from the drying room

 

[Branch-Hopper]

...or when you are the steward?

 

[wave_dodger]

2AW or 2BW will be worn as dictated by the Mess Pres, but is in essence a tropical only rig.

2A and 2B are as described by @CmdKeen .

As ATG says and normally reserved for summer balls.

 

[barny006]

Last worn in JSSR Mess Hong Kong June 1987 COB HMS SWALLOW.Me thinks white uniform not much use in UK reduced fleet and not many tropical runs ashore.

 

[Wightsparker]

Mind you, bits of the Isle of Wight claim to be sub-tropical......

 

[WreckerL]

Mind you, bits of the Isle of Wight are sub-normal......

Fixed that for you, no charge

 

[ElQuesoGrande]

It's a tropical rig. We wear them in Cyprus year round. Wore mine on Friday for our Pickle Night (yep, it's formal-ish here).

 

[Wightsparker]

Wrecker, you live dangerously. Remember what the Oil of Woight mafia managed with this turkey?



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37164549

 

[WreckerL]

Bring it on, they'll never make it. They'll think the M27 is a big pavement and we're all giants.