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What to wear to enlistment swearing in...

elliottm2

Member
Hey All,
So tomorrow morning I go in to sign my enlistment paperwork and all that jazz. I have a REALLY stupid question. Whats appropriate dress attire for this at an NRD? full blown suit? jeans? any thoughts?
 

jg54170

OCS JAN12th
Hey All,
So tomorrow morning I go in to sign my enlistment paperwork and all that jazz. I have a REALLY stupid question. Whats appropriate dress attire for this at an NRD? full blown suit? jeans? any thoughts?
I have seen it dome in jeans and T shirt but most cases in business casual...slacks or khakis and button up or polo. I would dress professional.
 

Tycho_Brohe

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Hey All,
So tomorrow morning I go in to sign my enlistment paperwork and all that jazz. I have a REALLY stupid question. Whats appropriate dress attire for this at an NRD? full blown suit? jeans? any thoughts?
Somewhere in between, I'd say. Are you also swearing in? I wore a dress shirt and tie with slacks when I swore in.
 

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
Jeans and polo is fine, no FITREPS will reflect your clothing choice at MEPS...just be sober.
 

PropStop

Kool-Aid free since 2001.
pilot
Contributor
Eh, doesn't really matter honestly. I showed up in shorts and a tshirt, long hair, goatee, smelling of cordite from having just gone shooting. And look at me now ma!

But, it won't hurt to dress up. I swore in a buddy of mine, he was in a 3 piece suit.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I would dress professional.

Spot on. We had a person show up to swear in that was wearing jeans and basically a t-shirt, what followed was that all OR's, the OACR and CR had a discussion with the CO about how these young men and women were going to be officers in the USN and if they can't figure out they are going to show up and be around senior officers who are going to see them swear in then we as OR's need to ensure they are briefed on the proper attire.
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
We also live in a society that is continually moving more toward casual in the workplace. There are a lot of companies where if you show up in slacks, you're over-dressed and over-compensating... something the CO who is 20 years older might not realize.

Personally, my enlistment swearing in amounted to signing a piece of paper. No ceremony was had.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
We also live in a society that is continually moving more toward casual in the workplace. There are a lot of companies where if you show up in slacks, you're over-dressed and over-compensating... something the CO who is 20 years older might not realize.

as someone who works for a large company, interacts with, and interviewed with many other large companies, if you wear anything less than slacks you are in most cases underdressed, more so if you are a salary employee, less if you are hourly.

I do know of a few large companies where you can wear jeans, but some people I know that work for those large companies say if you are looking to move up, then don't wear jeans.

Personally, my enlistment swearing in amounted to signing a piece of paper. No ceremony was had.

when you are remote from the NRD it is easily done, at the NRD a bit harder.
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
I didn't say every company had that culture, just that many do and the trend is moving away from playing dress up to go to the office, particularly in silicon valley.

If you're looking for a career in corporate finance on wall street, though, it's still suit and tie everyday.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I didn't say every company had that culture, just that many do and the trend is moving away from playing dress up to go to the office, particularly in silicon valley.

If you're looking for a career in corporate finance on wall street, though, it's still suit and tie everyday.

ah yes, the tech computer type guys are in a world of there own, and one of the people I know who I referenced in my last post works for one of those tech companies, I think a lot of it comes down to being aware of your surroundings and knowing what the written and unwritten rules are.
 

BusyBee604

St. Francis/Hugh Hefner Combo!
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
When in doubt... dress up! No one will ever be upset if you are over-dressed... being under-dressed is the big no no :p
Concur, even though it's not a formal ceremonial event in your career, often photos are taken at events in the military, to be put into family albums. You wouldn't want to browse it with grandkids/friends years down the road, wearing Levis, a faded Stones Tee & 0500 shadow for your signing/swearing in! Plus neat attire projects your pride in becoming a Commissioned Naval Officer.;)
BzB
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Concur, even though it's not a formal ceremonial event in your career, often photos are taken at events in the military, to be put into family albums. You wouldn't want to browse it with grandkids/friends years down the road, wearing Levis, a faded Stones Tee & 0500 shadow for your signing/swearing in! Plus neat attire projects your pride in becoming a Commissioned Naval Officer.;)
BzB

Several NRD's now put the pics from these ceremonies on facebook.
 

jcj

Registered User
Concur, even though it's not a formal ceremonial event in your career, often photos are taken at events in the military, to be put into family albums. You wouldn't want to browse it with grandkids/friends years down the road, wearing Levis, a faded Stones Tee & 0500 shadow for your signing/swearing in! Plus neat attire projects your pride in becoming a Commissioned Naval Officer.;)
BzB

This will be one of your first official acts to interact as an officer candidate in a professional military environment. Those you'll be interacting with will be in appropriate military uniform or appropriate civilian attire (likely business casual). You will show respect for the office you are entering and the community you are joining if you dress in a way that is respectful to those you'll be interacting with (i.e. at least business casual). As pointed out above, if there is uncertainty it's always better to be a step overdressed rather than a step underdressed, and there may well be photos that you or those you care about will have an opportunity to see some years down the road.

Business casual would mean slacks & collared shirt (not blue jeans or t-shirt as an outergarment). Tie is optional, sport coat (blazer style) is optional but a nice touch. shoes & belt should be leather & should match, socks are required and (obviously) should match the clothes and each other.

I'm sorry to sound like the clothes police, but there is an art and science to gentlemen's wear and it's often misunderstood. A very nice (and free) resource is here http://askandyaboutclothes.com/

Of course, soon your clothing choices will be less complicated. I understand the poopy suit comes in only one color...
 
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