After months after the Army rolled out its summer line of fatigues, the Navy is showing off new-fangeled uniforms of its own.
The key word here is "uniform." Sailors have long had a variety of working outfits. The Navy Working Uniform is an attempt to put everyone in the same clothes, the Navy News Service says.
The Navy Working Uniform is being designed to take the place of utilities, wash khaki, coveralls, woodland green, aviation green, winter working blue and tropical working uniforms. The normal wear life is designed to last up to 18 months, compared to the current wear life of six months for the working uniform.
The working uniform design is not intended to camouflage Sailors against the background of a ship. Instead, the multiple colors on the uniform - navy blue, deck gray, haze gray and black - are common in the maritime working environment, making them a more practical choice.
What we have heard from Sailors aboard ship is if they get a small spot of paint or grease on a pair of solid-color utilities or coveralls, its easily visible and detracts from the uniforms appearance, Scott said. With the Navy Working Uniforms multicolor pattern, a small spot or stain may be almost entirely unnoticeable.
Another positive aspect of a multicolor pattern is that wrinkles caused by daily wear would be less visible, and the new uniforms will be wash and wear with no ironing required.
There's good news for the Navy's gadget freaks, too. Sailors in working uniforms will will now be able to wear cell phones and PDAs, Gizmodo notes. Lady gadget freaks are especially psyched. Skirts are now optional "for the first time since women officially entered the service in 1908," the AP reports.
