Female Uniforms That Were Just The Worst

Uniforms for female personnel started off on the right foot. In the early days of WWII the WAVES uniforms were designed by a former editor from Vogue who knew the wife of the then Under Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. Mrs. Forrestal had been a fashion editor at Vogue and wanted the ladies to look sharp. And they did. Even the coveralls back then were flattering.

But things went south from there with a low point around the 70’s to the 90’s where confusion reigned and no one was sure if women’s uniforms should make them look like actual women. We ended up in a sea of polyester and high-waist pants that are not kind to any shape or size. Today the battle rages on with efforts to make everyone look the same (which really means women pay for extra uniform items to look like men), and the average service member is left wondering why we spend so much on uniform changes but can’t seem to afford non-asbestos filled buildings. So here for your viewing enjoyment is a list of the worst uniforms and proposed uniforms for each service branch.

ARMY

Army: “Sea Foam” Green

What is this uniform and why did they make poor, unsuspecting Army Nurse Corps personnel wear it? In the words of Nancy Kerrigan, “Whyyyyyyy!?” Are you a nurse, a flight attendant? No, you are a soldier…in sea foam green…with gloves. One can only ponder the thought process of whoever signed off on this idea, but we hope they were color blind because there is just no excuse for this kind of optical assault.

NAVY

Navy: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of a Decent Uniform”

We know the 1970’s were all about the big collars, which can be the only reason why the Navy sought to bestow upon its female members the biggest, baddest necktie/neckerchief that ever was. We’re talking Bozo-like proportions here, people. Other notable elements of this ensemble include the shapeless, short sleeved blouse favored by polyester-wearing middle management business men and the beret, which no one really knew how to wear and which only women with bangs liked because it sat further back on the head.

AIR FORCE

Air Force: “Just Cinch It”

The Air Force always gets made fun of, so it’s a head scratcher to think why they thought these new dress jackets would work. To be fair, this was a proposed uniform change in 2008 that was not a priority for the incoming Air Force Chief of Staff; but even so…yikes. The male version looks fine, but that belted style seems to work well on men (see every Marine in dress uniform, ever.) But on females this uniform is ill-fitting and makes them look like some sort of Goth Dudley Do-Right. Also why is it dark blue? Something tells me the Navy was not pleased.

COAST GUARD

Coast Guard: Flying the Not-So-Friendly Skies of Fashion

Did you know the Coast Guard was an airline in the 1970’s? Wait, it wasn’t? Well what else could one think when looking at this collection of uniforms? The jumper is a nice touch. Nothing says “I’m a strong, intelligent woman; treat me with respect” like a Catholic school uniform-inspired jumper; and we see the Coast Guard also got on board with the beret-craze, though not successfully, we might add. What we can’t figure out is why we never knew that Patty Hearst was once in the Coast Guard…

MARINES

Marine Corps: Semper Fabulous

You know what’s annoying? All of the female Marine Corps uniforms throughout the ages have been nice. Seriously, Google it.  The uniforms are not bad, not even during the 1980’s and 1990’s when all the other service branches were moving to uniforms that made everyone look like a postal worker. From the beginning, these ladies looked sharp and fit and we can’t find anything wrong with them. Marines, looking spiffy throughout the ages. Oorah!