help me understand something, Navy uniforms.

[Nesher]

why the navies all over the world decided to have white as their dress uniform?

looks good and all but I guess there is a reason behind it..

 

have a nice weekend guys, I'll drink for that tonight

[+JonathanRL]

It is by no measure an official decision tough similarities in such areas are common - like how paratroopers often have maroon berets. It all comes down to one thing. Tradition and it is often a tad difficult to see where the influences began and end.

 

For example, in Sweden the general dress uniform for the Navy is Parade Uniform m/1987 with a Sea Coat as an accessory.

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraduniform_m/1987

[B52STRATO]

Strangely the White color is often associated to the Royalty and obedience. Perhaps it rejoins one of the numerous common concepts from the worldwide Navies ?

[JediMaster]

Maybe because it can be damned hot on the water and white is cool in direct sunlight?

[+Erik]

I always thought it was for the high contrast and simplicity of sending messages.

 

 

 

I can't believe we're talking about seamen wearing white, seems legit.

[Capitaine Vengeur]

Hey, had the seamen worn pink jackets and fluorescent pantyhoses, some persistent reputations would have been much less ambiguous...

 

More seriously, the white uniforms appeared at the era of the coal-fed navy. I suppose it may have been a humiliating way, typical of those times, to emphasize the difference between the immaculate uniform of the honorable deck officer rarely leaving the bridge, and the dirty fatigue suit of the recruit sweating at the boilers.

[Nesher]

Erik, you cracked me up man!

 

Thanks for the comments\explanations guys!

[Derk]

In our navy it was a matter of climate. Before WW II lots of ships in the former Netherlands East Indies, after WW II up to 1960 in New Guinea and nowadays still stationed in the Netherlands Antilles and operations in the Gulf of Aden, all tropical area's. A white uniform is cooler to wear as it doesn't absorb the rays and with that the heat of the sun. In home waters no white uniforms for our navy. As an example, when we had our P2H Neptunes stationed at Curacao, painting the top of the fuselage white made a difference of 15 degr. Celcius inside....

Edited November 4, 2012 by Derk

[exhausted]

I always thought it was for the high contrast and simplicity of sending messages.

 

 

 

I can't believe we're talking about seamen wearing white, seems legit.

 

Can't overlook those Marines in their Dress Blues D!

[Dagger]

Hey, had the seamen worn pink jackets and fluorescent pantyhoses, some persistent reputations would have been much less ambiguous...

From the Marine point of view, I thought this is the standard "swabby" uniform. Sorry Chief, had to say it.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Dagger