The Dress Mess Uniform. Does anyone else hate it?

I'll put it this way Sir, my old BN commander recently went to a Mil Ball and while walking through a hotel lobby he was stopped and asked if he were a "bullfighter"...I'll just leave it at that. 100% true story.

I like it more than being shrink wrapped in polyester wool blends and mall security shirt of the ASU. I had mine tailor made in Korea for almost nothing as a Captain over ten years ago. When they are custom made they fit much better. Plus I always run into this very pretty girl when I wear them.

Sir, the male officer dress mess is a little garish, but I find the female enlisted dress mess quite attractive and smart.

Okay, true story here, garaunteed to make you spit your coffee out...

The Mess Dress for the Navy is a tux with a short coat with small medals, chevrons and hash marks. There's a white coat for the Summer, and a black coat for Winter.

I was in a cousin's wedding, wearing the Summer Mess Dress. I was standing in front of the restaraunt that the reception was at, when a lady came up to me and handed me her valet parking ticket. I'll never wear the Summer coat again

I have worn full sized medals in the Blues and I think that looks way better than the Dress Mess with it's tiny medals and odd jacket.

I love the mess dress as well... even got married in it! I do agree with a few of the other comments in the fact that there is rarely an appropriate time to wear it. It's still in my closet with CPL rank sewn on.

I think that they look sharp, but I always feel like a "sausage casing" when wearing it.

Pic is Dad and me at the AF Ball, c. Sept 2014. :)

Sir, I love it. Many of my best memories of my dad are of him in his Dress Mess. The Army's version looks very similar to the Coast Guard's, and I never miss an opportunity to wear mine.

Honestly I think it's beautiful. My only gripe is "where is everyone's NCO and Officer swords?"!

I loved the Dress mess uniform. I got my Mess Blues and Mess White uniform back in the early 70's before the change in officer rank insignia was changed. In those days the officers rank was denoted by the number of braids in cuff scroll and branch insignia under the scroll. None for 2Lt, 1 braid for 1Lt, 2 braids for Cpt, 3 braids for major, 4 braids for LTC and 5 braids for COL.

I have to say the that change over to a wider single braid with rank insignia replacing branch insignia is allows better recognition of one's rank.

That reminds me of an incident back when I was a LT at Ft Bragg. A college buddy of mine, who was also a LT assigned to a battalion of the 504th Airborne Infantry, went to a Dining-In at the main Officers Club wearing his Dress Blues. Another battalion from the 325th Airborne Infantry was also having a Dining-in in another private room at the club. Afterwards a few members from both units retired to the Club's basement bar for a nightcap. My friend got into a heated debate with someone from the other battalion who was wearing Mess Blues. They were arguing over whose unit had the best heritage from WW II. After an exchange of unit insults some punches were briefly exchanged. The two were restrained by their friends. The two quickly made up and all was forgiven. The next afternoon my friend told me about the encounter the night before and asked me what all the curly braid on "that guy's" Mess Blues uniform meant. I told him that the four braided scroll on "that guy's" Mess Blues meant he was a LTC - the Battalion Commander.