Dress Blues vs Cracker Jacks

Links:
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/uniform_history.htm#en9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_of_the_United_States_Navy

Prior to 1970, all Junior Enlisted (E-6 and below) Naval personnel wore Dress Blues or Undress Blues from mid Fall to Mid Spring.

DRESS BLUES

The original Jr Enlisted uniform was made of a Melton wool material and was Navy Blue in color.
It consisted of a pullover blouse with a back neck flap and straight legged trousers with a 13 button broad fall. There were laces in the back of the trousers for custom fitting.
To fully clean required dry cleaning, but the uniform did not hold or show dirt. It was easily hand washed in a bucket of cold water and could be ironed with a steaming cloth.
The uniform wore well and was comfortable.
When folded and stored correctly, it always looked smart.

Up until the '70s, Dress Blues was the only authorized liberty uniform for Jr Enlisted. Civilian cloths were not allowed aboard. Most sailors belonged to a civilian locker club where they could store and change to civilian clothes.

Undress Blues:

Similar to Dress Blues, but with a lighter weight blouse without piping on the collar or cuffs. Was reserved as a casual or watch staning uniform. Normally worn without neckerchief, unless one was actually on watch.

After 1600 on Weekdays and Sat and all day Sun, No one was allowed topside or in the crews mess unless they were wearing the uniform of the day, which was dress or undress blues.

Then came the change;

"In 1973 the most sweeping change in the history of enlisted dress occurred. Based on a survey conducted in 1970¹ it appeared that there was some fleet desire, principally among the more senior petty officers, for a different, more distinguished garb. Based on these findings, the sailor was removed from his traditional uniform and placed in a suit and tie which corresponded to the officer/CPO style. The intention was to create a single uniform appearance and present enlisted men in a uniform which was thought to reflect the increasing complexity of the modern Navy."²

"The break with tradition, when coupled with unforeseen inconveniences of the suit and tie uniform, were unacceptable. Therefore, in 1980, the Navy again began to issue the jumper style uniform as a dress uniform to recruits."

After 1980 the Navy switched to a jumper style uniforms which were nicknamed "Crackerjacks."

CRACKER JACKS

Younger sailors rejoiced that we were "going back to Crackerjacks." Older sailors were annoyed because we never wore "Crackerjacks." We wore "Dress Blues."

The modern jumper uniform is made of a serge material and is black in color.
Unlike Melton wool, the serge wool does not shed water or wind and does not breath as well.
It is hotter in warm weather, cooler in cold weather. It wrinkles easily and is dry clean only.

The modern Crackerjack uniform and is nothing like and no where as good as our old Dress Blues.

A hold over from the suit and tie era was the long sleave black shirt with tie. Often called the "Nazi uniform" by many sailors, this was mostly worn on shore duty in place of the old undress blues.

^{BDUs
or the new NWU (Navy
Working Uniform)

So, what does this ol' salt think of the new Navy Camo replacing
the dungaree and wash khaki uniform? Well, it is logical
and makes sense to me.

Many
CPOs don't like it because it makes them look similar to the Jr
enlisted and believe it will lead to a break down in authority, but
they forget that until the end of the Korean War, the CPO working
uniform was dungarees, just like
Jr
enlisted. All other branches of the Armed Forces wear some form
of BDUs and there has been no break down of authority. Only the
Surface Navy, especially the CPOs are resisting.}^{I have also read of Old Timers complaining of the new undress
uniform. In my opinion it is better than the 'Nazi" all black
uniform that I had to wear.

This 'ol sailor believes that economics will force a unification of the
Armed Services (which is not a bad thing) and
using BDUs as a working uniform just makes makes sense to me.}

^Footnotes¹ I have never been able to find anyone who took or even heard of this "survey."

² The uniform change also included a change to a pull over style working uniform which no one liked. In 1980 the Jr Enlisted working uniform also was changed back to a chambray shirt and dungarees.