whats the appropriate time to wear your uniform?

[DoolittleRaider]

hey,

ive often wondered when is the right time to wear you uniform? the reason i ask is because ive gone to lots of airshows and ive wanted to wear my uniform but i dont on the account of the law that says that you cant portray a military officer.

so its been whittled down to the fact that i wear my uniform maybe once a year.(to the local Hangar dance) i would love to wear my uniform alot more and actually get my hundreds of dollars worth out of it.

does anyone have any suggestions to when is the proper place to wear you uniform and when do you just go in your civilian clothes?

Many Thanks,
Marc

 

[Gene]

I have gone out to dinner with my reenacting friends in Class A's with our girls in period clothing. There was a great discussion of this topic over on the WWII reenacting forum. I don't really give a hoot what people on a forum think about it, but we've got our reasons and there is (IMHO) nothing wrong with wearing it out for a special occasion.

Point is, there's going to be lots of varying opinions. My humble one is that if you are going to wear your uniform out to a special dinner or for some kind of swing dance or some other special occasion, make sure that it is worn CORRECTLY and properly. I highly doubt any current military man is going to take you for impersonating an officer. You may even get into a conversation about why you reenact or your relatives etc. You will get the occasional person thank you for your service or mistake you for someone in the modern military, just be polite and answer accordingly. Just keep it simple and don't go around flaunting medals or anything, just proper insignia and maybe an ETO or Pacfic ribbon.

Trust me when I say though, you go into a restaurant wearing pinks and greens with a lady in vintage clothes on your arm, you ARE GOING to turn heads. I absolutely love it!

As a side note, I see everyone quoting these regulations all the time about impersonating military men, but wearing a uniform that's been out of regulation for 50+ years hardly qualifies. A lot of folks need to get off their high horses and understand that those of us who choose to wear our uniforms out for a special occasion are not doing our country any sort of disservice.

Gene

 

[DoolittleRaider]

YEAH!!!

see thats exactly what i think, im not going to go around flaunting it. if you do that then you deserve to get bloody caught.

i would love to go out to dinner with a dame and turn heads and if anyone asks then ill just educate them. i did go to my high school Band Banquet wearing my 101ST ABN uniform and all my friends where looking at me with just this cool look. i cant really describe it, but it was great.

i am still going to respect the uniform and i agree that people need to get off there high horses.

thanks a bunch Gene,:eusa_clap

Marc

 

[Widebrim]

I think that Gene has pretty much said it. If you are going to a period dance or some type of re-enactment, there is nothing wrong with wearing a vintage uniform and taking your gal to a restaurant or such. You're neither impersonating a serviceman or wearing an unauthorized rank, since it is a vintage uniform.

 

[Spitfire]

It's kind of stange - and has been discussed before (See the "Might I offend a Veteran" thread.)
Let's just say that I - together with some other girls and guys in Napoleon period dresses and uniforms - enterede a restaurant, dressed up as a general in the 7th Hussar Regiment.
What would people think? There is some filmmaking going on in the neighbourhood? There is a carnival somewhere? Are they crazy?
No matter what - some would deffinately have a great time, some would find it strange and some would even ask us why.

But would they think I was a general? No!
There is a borderline somewhere. If the uniform is vintage - that is: Not in use by the armed forces, I would say it was OK. Medals, rank and the whole thing.
It is quite anothe thing if we enter the same restaurant dressed as modern days soldiers from Afghanistan!!!
I would say the line is drawn with modern regulation uniforms.

The question is not, are you an imposter, if you wear VINTAGE uniforms. The question is, what other people (not dressed up) get out of it.
Are they amused, curious - they might even ask questions, that can bring on a good dialouge on the period you represent.
And if somebody in the armed forces takes you for an officer, I would say they are either colourblind or maybe they should read up on uniform regulations. It's their problem - not yours.

Just to get things straight: I am not into reenacting, I do not wear uniforms - I only wear parts of uniforms (WWII RAF) in order to keep warm (and look cool.)

 

[Gene]

The question is not are you an imposter, if you wear VINTAGE uniforms. The question is, what other people (not dressed up) get out of it.
Are they amused, curious - they might even ask questions, that can bring on a good dialouge on the period you represent.

I can't tell you how many conversations I've gotten into with people about World War 2 since I've been reenacting; I can only hope that I've "educated" a couple of folks who might have been ignorant about the topic before. ("Why are you dressed like it's World War One? That's when they wore their covers sideways! What's that black thing with all the letters on it? (Typewriter)."

I guess a good rule of thumb if you are going to wear your uniform out in public: remember that you are representing a group of guys who have not only sacrificed a lot for our freedoms, but you also represent people who reenact. I would say don't get too drunk or rowdy or obnoxious and treat the uniform just as if you were actually in the military. We are already viewed to a lot of the public as a bunch of kooks, so don't make it any harder on us!

 

[Spitfire]

I would say don't get too drunk or rowdy or obnoxious and treat the uniform just as if you were actually in the military. We are already viewed to a lot of the public as a bunch of kooks, so don't make it any harder on us!

You talkin to me???
Or to the rest of the world...lol lol lol

 

[Zemke Fan]

I have come to the conclusion...

That I am NOT going to wear the following items (for example) to a restaurant prior to going to a hanger dance or similar event:

1. Command pilot wings.
2. Colonel rank insignia.
3. Air medal and DFC ribbons.
4. 56th FG DIs.

These items are IDENTICAL to current issue and I don't want to engender any confusion or controversy.

The minature RAF wing (King's crown) is sewn to the tunic, so it gets to stay!

 

[Spitfire]

I have come to another conclusion:
I just don't go to restaurants or Hanger dances in anything than my Napoleon 7th Hussar uniform including horse.lol

Seriously now: I think you are on to something there Zemke fan.
But I just never walk around in a full uniform. I might use the BD jacket (see profilepic) as outerwear in the fall. It would be pretty easy to remove the Squadron Leader insignia - they just slide on and off.
But my Kings Crown wing and DFC ribbon was sewn to the tunic, when I found it - and bought it in London many years ago - and they stay.
But since I might be wearing courdroy pants and dessertboots also, I don't think anybody will mistake me for an officer or pilot of the RAF. Not in Denmark anyway. And I am far too old to be one anyway!!!!!!

 

[Marcus]

This topic seems to come up a lot on various forums. I wonder just how many people have been called out about it. The general public has no clue what is modern and what is not. They probably assume you are active duty unless they really know something about it. I'm a German reenactor so we don't usually run into this issue since we don't wear our stuff anywhere except at events. Truthfully, out here in California most reenactors across the board don’t go out and hit the town in uniform anyways. That only happens on any kind of frequency is at the Camp Roberts event where some of the GI's go out in town.

Of course I would love to hit the Kaiserhof down in San Diego in uniform, but I doubt that will ever happen. If it did, I'd probably go in my Luftwaffe uniform as it probably the least ominous looking uniform I have and it's funny how so many air forces' have chosen that blue-grey color.

 

[billgaston]

Gene said it pretty well. The USAAF uniforms are no where near what the current issue uniform is. No one in the Military is going to confuse you with active duty personnel.
Wear it with respect and dignity and refrain from wearing medals of valor that you have not actually earned. Pilots wings and other qualification badges are not going to be a real problem if you wear them. (Its your choice) The valor medals will strike the biggest nerve with people who know what they are.
As far as impersonating an officer [huh] if you are not telling people you are current / active duty or somehow trying to get some sort of privilege. You are not violating any laws or regulations.

 

[MPicciotto]

I wear my uniform to and from some day events. If I stop in a 7-11 I'm viewed as a total nut. But if 3 or more people stop in a 7-11 or go to dinner or ... then it's assumed that something must be going on like a filming or a military show. I haven't been there myself but apparently near the Reading Airshow is a German restaurant that gets rather crowded evenings of the show with German reenactors in uniform. I think they drive German field-grey vehicles up there too.

Matt

 

[mwelch8404]

Vintage uniforms, ok.

Rank devices - maybe I could be persuaded. Maybe.

Medals/ribbons... mmm here comes the grumpy old man - you didn't earn it don't wear it.

I understand that if you're wearing, lets say a 501st uniform from '45 the "I was there" make sense, but you've turned the whole thing into a "costume."

Disclaimer: I served in the Navy, the Army and in the National Guard, and have not worn any piece of uniform except the ribbon/medal lapel pins for civilian use since my discharge in '92.

 

[Spitfire]

Just a bit of gasoline on the fire - :

I am pretty sure my BD (with rank, wing and DFC) is not original - but a movie prop from some TV series or movie production.
Why should I remove the wing and DFC ribbon, when the guy who wore it before me did not earn it either. He was probably just an actor - or an extra.

And another thought: Anybody know which Hussar regiment Jimi Hendrix served in ?????

Anyway - I don't wear the jackt very often ( and as stated earlier: Never wear a full uniform. That would just look ridicolous) - so it doesn't really matter.
Just bought it because I liked it - and because I am into Battle of Britain stuff.

 

[Vanessa]

I have come to another conclusion:
I just don't go to restaurants or Hanger dances in anything than my Napoleon 7th Hussar uniform including horse.lol

What restaurants are you at? I'll meet you there in a Josephine gown.

 

[Troglodyte]

Trooper Hendrix

And another thought: Anybody know which Husar regiment Jimi Hendrix served in ?????

He's just being nice to Hussars. He was actually a paratrooper (supply specialist) in the 101st Airborne Division!

 

[Annandamide]

My other half wears his all the time, just because.

I'll come home from work, (he works shifts), and there he'll be bringing in the washing in full tropical gear if its sunny, Alpini, of course, if its even slightly cloudy.
Not sure he'd wear it out on the town around here, but then, Ipswich isn't known for being terribly broad minded.
We are looking out for some more local events to attend so he can get even more use out of it.

 

[Gene]

My other half wears his all the time, just because.

I'll come home from work, (he works shifts), and there he'll be bringing in the washing in full tropical gear if its sunny, Alpini, of course, if its even slightly cloudy.
Not sure he'd wear it out on the town around here, but then, Ipswich isn't known for being terribly broad minded.
We are looking out for some more local events to attend so he can get even more use out of it.

I definitely try to get a lot of use out of mine, especially in the winter. It's not uncommon for me to be wearing my crush cap, A-2, "chocolate" shirt w/tie and "pinks" trousers any given day.

gene

 

[MrBern]

the spotlight

And another thought: Anybody know which Hussar regiment Jimi Hendrix served in ?????

Well....Hendrix was on stage. Not quite the same as any of us walking around the neighborhood on the way to a dance.

If anyone is shy about wearing a reenactment uniform on the way to a dance or event dinner, then wear a topcoat over your ensemble. Have fun, but dont forget that no matter how obviously vintage your uniform may appear, theres always someone who'll think youre in the service.

 

[Spitfire]

What restaurants are you at? I'll meet you there in a Josephine gown.

We could really turn som heads