If you’ve been following the show "Army Wives" this season, you know that the character Roxy has been making the transition from enlisted personnel’s wife to an officer’s wife. In the episode that aired on March 25th, she took the position of Family Readiness Group (FRG) Leader for her husband’s company. After her introductory meeting, the senior officer spouses, Claudia Joy and Denise, advised her that ‘’was an officer’s spouse/FRG Leader now, she needs to start acting like it” and that she needs to tone down her style (read: dress more conservatively).
If there is a guideline for how an officer’s wife or FRG Leader should dress, I missed that memo. I have been the wife of an Army officer for going on 8 years, and I have never once worn a cardigan to an FRG meeting. A cute shrug? Maybe. But not because I had to.
When it comes to my duties as an FRG volunteer, I always leave the Mary Janes and pearls at home. And at most of the Battalion level meetings, the Colonel’s wife is usually dressed casually as well.
And there’s the flip side to this stereotype: by saying that as an officer’s wife, Roxy needs dress up more they are implying something else entirely -- enlisted spouses do not dress well. And I don’t think this is not a fair classification, either.
What’s your opinion? Do you think that the "Army Wives" FRG presents a stereotype, or do think FRG leaders should be expected to abide by a dress code?
Erin is an Army wife of seven years and a mother of two little girls. She blogs at The Unexpected Army Life.
