Uniform Tips

Different types of uniform:

Dark blues:

  • Dark blues are the uniform used most, for normal cadet nights.
  • They consist of a dark blue shirt, an issue jumper, parade shoes, trousers and a belt/ a skirt and some barely black tights.  Rank slides are worn on the epaulets.

Light blues:

  • Light blues are used for occasions where you need to be a little smarter.
  • This consists of the same things as the dark blues, except instead of the dark shirt it is the light shirt with the top button done up, and a tie on. The tie should be black and tied smartly in a double Windsor knot. Rank slides are also worn on the epaulets.

Greens:

  • This is for sports, and shooting. Basically for anything that may make the uniform dirty.
  • In the greens, there are combat coloured shirt, trousers, and smock. Also is a green top underneath the shirt.  The shoes worn are a pair of boots, and using trouser twists would be a good idea. Rank slides are worn on the front of the smock/ shirt.

 Your beret is to be worn with all types of uniform

 

Different pieces of uniform:

Beret:

  • Shaping your beret: This should be done by placing the beret in hot water- make sure you do not get the leather rim wet.
  • Hold the beret in the hot water until soaked through. After this put the beret on your head, holding the beret badge in one hand, smooth the spare fabric over to the right of the beret.
  • Your beret badge should be an inch above your left eyebrow, and the rim should be level all the way round.  Make sure that the beret badge is in the right place, and that there is no fabric over the badge.

 

Trousers:

  • Ironing your trousers: When ironing your trousers, make two creases in each leg, one up the centre of the back, and one up the front. The rest of the trousers should be crease free.
  • Wearing your trousers: With trousers you should wear plain black socks and the issued belt.

Skirt:

  • Ironing your skirt: Your skirt should be crease free unless there is a pleat in the front. The pleat should be ironed sharply and inside out so it doesn’t go shiny.
  • Wearing your skirt: If you are female you will need to wear a skirt when wearing blues. You wear ‘barely black’ tights with it.

Shirts:

  • Ironing your shirt: Your shirt should have one crease up each arm, and the collar should be sharp. When ironing the collar, you should use cover it with a tea towel so it doesn’t burn. The rest of the shirt should be crease free.
  • Wearing your shirt: In short sleeve order (not wearing jumpers) you need to roll up the sleeves smartly, but only if you are wearing the dark blue shirt. Wearing yor jumper over your dark blue shirt you need to keep your sleeves down.

Jumper:

  • Ironing your jumper: All of the jumper must be ironed, and the pen pocket and epaulets should be flat.
  • Wearing your jumper: Apart from the brassard (see below) there is nothing to wear with the jumper. Just mind out for ski jumps- these are when your epaulets point upwards at the ends.

Shoes:

  • Your shoes will take a while to get right. You need to have some water, some cotton wool pads, and some polish (the best is Kiwi Parade Gloss). Wet the cotton wool pad, then wipe some polish onto it. After this, wet the cotton wool again then rub the polish into the shoe in small circles. Make sure it is properly rubbed in.
  • Take another piece of cotton wool, wet it, and then gently rub off the polish. For male Parade shoes, the toe cap should be shined highly and the rest of the shoe clean and polished.
  • For female Parade shoes, the whole shoe should be polished to quite a high standard.

Brassard:

  • The brassard should be crease free, and any badges should be sewn on firmly, and in the right place.
  • It should be worn on the right arm of your jumper, or shirt if you are not wearing your jumper