Have you ever wondered how that one Cadet always looks good in
uniform. No matter if you have spent the past three days in the same
uniform, crawling in the dirt and mud, they will continue to look crisp
and ironed. In the following few paragraphs, I am going to reveal some of those tricks of the trade
that you will only learn from being around for years, and keeping a
watchful eye out for things that will make you the best looking cadet
out there. While I've been around for awhile and learned some useful
tricks, ther are still many, many more out there. So don’t quit
looking for better and easier ways of doing things.
All Dressed Up For Battle... Lets start with the Battle Dress Uniform or BDU’s.
They are designed
to be the uniform that you can work in. But how do you keep them looking
good all day long? A good place to begin with is how to wash
them. You turn them inside out and put the washer and dryer on a gentle
cycle. Doing this will cut down on frays and wear and tear on the
patches, pocket flaps, buttons, and the overall uniform.
After it comes out of the wash, sit down
for about five minutes and clip off all of the strings. Use a pair of
sharp sewing scissors, or maybe a pair of fingernail clippers. Doing it
before you put it on is a good idea because you will find more and it is
easier then when it is not on you body.
Now the $100,000 question: "How do I iron
these things?"
First, get a good iron. Generally,
modern irons all come with smooth teflon ironing surfaces, which makes
ironing a much, much more pleasurable experience. Don't set the
iron too hot, either. You don't want to scorch your uniform or the
insignia. Also, get good spray starch. Everyone has their own pet brand,
but find one you like and stick with it.
Start by unbuttoning all the pockets. Then
take the blouse and lay the arm front side down and make sure that the
whole seam (along the bottom edge of the sleeve) is facing you. Then
press the entire sleeve making sure not to crease any wrinkles. Flip it
over and do the same to the other side.
Press the front and back of the shirt, a
little bit at a time. When you're pressing the pockets, make sure to
tuck the bellows in before pressing. The collar should be turned down
between the top and 2nd button then press it flat. To do the pockets
flaps, you can place a piece of scrap cloth behind the flap prior to
pressing, or place just the pocket flap on the board and press flat.
This will make it so you don’t have button marks on the flap.
The trousers look hard but are actually
very easy. Take one leg and find the center of it (hint: match the
inseam and the outer seam at the bottom of the leg. Also, it helps to
button the top button of the trousers, but do it backwards, with the
front of the trousers facing each other (try this a couple times, you
will see it promotes a better crease for the legs!). Lay the leg flat
and press front and back. Do the same thing for the trouser pockets that
you did for the blouse. Another trick would be to place a piece of tape
on the inside of the pant leg to hone the crease, but make sure to
remove after ironing.
Remember that Starch is your friend, but
not your best friend. Too much starch will cause a dandruff effect. You
can also use steam instead of starch and get the same effect.
What do I do if I don’t have an iron? Not a
problem. All you need is two quarters. Take your trousers or shirt
sleeve sandwich it between the two quarters where you want the crease.
Then simply hold the quarters tightly and draw the material through
them. Ta da! Instant crease.
I suggest that you hang everything on
fairly large diameter wooden hanger, too. It will reduce the “just above
the knee crease" in the trousers. If you don’t have wooden hangers
hang them over a rod or dowel. If you insist on those horrible metal
hangers (visions of "Mommy Dearest"! -Editor) then hang them as
close to the cargo pocket as possible.
To roll your sleeves turn the sleeve inside
out up to the armpit. Go to the lowest part of the now folded sleeve and
and roll it in two three inch rolls neatly up to the cuff. Then fold
down to cuff so that you are exposing the camo pattern, making sure that
only camo is showing. Button the tab on the cuff to secure the roll.
Your boots should be shined and laced up
all the way, all boot laces should be tucked in. To blouse you boots
take a blouser and put it on just below the top of the boot. Take the
pants and fold them under the blouser. Then, pull the blouser and pants
OVER the very top of the boot.
When Is It Time for the Boot?
Speaking of boots I have a couple of hints for them as well. When you
get a new pair of boots or shoes strip them first with a little hydrogen
peroxide or alcohol. It will get the protective layer off and make it easier to put
the first coat of polish on.
Also before putting on the first coat I
recommend wearing them in the shower and letting them dry thoroughly.
This will break the boot into your foot, and make them a lot more
comfortable. (And when mom wants to know where the black scuff marks
came from in the tub, you didn't hear that here! -Editor) After this has been done you can start to polish them to a
high shine.
I very highly recommend using Kiwi polish and a cloth diaper
or old cotton t-shirt. There are many was to shine a boot you will find
the best for you. Just remember a little polish, sufficient amount of
water, lots of time and elbow grease is what is going to give them the
best shine. When you are done polishing take an old pair of panty hose
and simply buff the boot to a glossy shine. This works as a great quick
fix also, I keep a small piece of nylons on me all the time.
While we're talking about things to shine:
If you really want to impress someone then for male officers, shine your
service cap brim. Not many people do this but it makes it look really
sharp.
All Dressed Up With No Place to Go?
The service dress uniform is designed to be the best looking uniform
and therefore it should look good! Again lets start with the simple
stuff, ironing.
You can use the same technique that you did
with the BDU trousers, using tape and wooden hangers. Make sure to keep
your iron on a low setting, and never leave the iron on the fabric for
more then a couple seconds. It will make a nice shiny patch that will
stick out like a sore thumb. The same thing goes for the shirts except
you only crease the sleeves.
Time to Kiss a Frog
For Females, there is a little elastic band
on the collar, it is used to keep the shirts closed when wearing the
neck tab. When the shirt is open the best way to hide it is to loop it
around one of the frogs on your rank.
The Garter Snake Dance
So how do you keep your shirt tucked
in and straight? It is a little thing called shirt garters. They come in
a pack of two or four, I recommend four. You can buy them at any Base
Clothing Sales for less than five dollars. The are basically strips of
elastic with clips on either end. They are designed to keep your shirt
down and your socks up. Don't make them too tight, as occasionally
a clip will let go, with obvious results.
A few other odds and ends for you are...
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Always have a professional attitude.
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Use backers for everything on your blues uniform.
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Never let your pen or pencil show.
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You can wear plain, non-reflective sunglasses, but never in
formation.
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NEVER, NEVER, NEVER wear white socks.
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A piece of cardboard in the top of your BDU cover will make it look
really crisp.
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No you can’t wear a flower on your uniform, not even for weddings or
dances.
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Use a little bit of Brasso for all of your
metal accompaniments.
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Always hold things in your left arm or
drape things over your left shoulder, so you are still able to salute.
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Always wear boots with a flight suite.
The number one bit of information that I could possibly give you that
would make your uniform look it’s best is: you make the uniform. If you
feel sharp than you will look sharp. If you feel good then you will look
good. People will perceive you the way you want them to. My best wishes
to your in all your endeavors. Remember you get out of this program what
you put into it. |
