But… This explains why I can’t new blues shirts then…
Well it doesn’t, as it means we need three complete uniforms instead of two!
Are you quite sure you aren’t referring to the No3 ‘local’ dress variation with polo shirts, which was recently announced? Which was only to be worn on a per-instance basis, approved by Regions?
And are you genuinely-saying that this ^will^ be announced next month??
They are no longer made. And are no longer issued by the RAF. And you can’t buy them from CadetDirect any more. Silvermans have got RN AWD clone dark-blue shirts for £25 each (they sell good kit, but are never scared to charge high prices)
This is massively overdue. It might’ve been able to have been done via Cadet Kit Shop, but they’re very CadetDirect lookalike these days.
Well, exactly so. And certainly preferrable to being dressed in Most Tiresome Pattern nearly all the time (although I do take your point @Mike_Bravo)
@Teflon…with respect, no. Although Cadets tend to wear working shirts with the sleeves rolled-up, the great advantage of that is that they >can< optionally or as ordered drop the sleeves. Some youngsters can suddenly feel the cold, so having that capability is more than useful.
In fact so useful, it might talk me out of my own suggestion that Cadets could have one of their (notional two) wedgewoods tailored to being short-sleeved.
If we are going for MTP-and-polos (ie permament AFCO/Engagement Team rig) then surely we will be able to organisationally-issue MTP to all? Or sell it, super-cheap?
And…before you all batten-down the hatches…would such a scenario mean that “Brassards, Blue-Grey” (all of which are still made with a buttonhole below the epaulette loop) would then be worn on MTP shirts, especially the barracks versions?
Why is it ok for that to happen at Nijmegen/WARMA, yet unimaginable elsewhere?
Those of us old-enough to remember ‘Pullovers, Woollen, Crew-necked BG’ being worn with wedgewoods and DPM trousers &smocks…could possibly even imagine a world with current blues woolly-pulleys worn on top of MTP barracks shirts. The way the Army/RM wear OG jumpers on top of MTP shirts.
Or maybe I’m bluffing…
Ammo & Co/Cadet Kit Shop offer cadet sized official MTP… find the supplier, charge cost price +logistic cost+1% to top up the tea and biscuit fund and you’ll still undercut cadet direct/cadet kit shop. You’ll know they are getting quality kit also
I’ve yet to see officially of the uniform shortage, so until then I will carry on ordering uniforms. We got out last lot a few weeks ago and it was all that I ordered.
So until I see an official email I am not concerned.
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@wilf_san Today’s children are just as resilient as we were when we were kids.
When we do a social it would be unusual to see any cadet wearing a long sleeved shirt, the most they might wear is a hoodie, which comes off 9 times out of 10 once we’re indoors. If they get cold they put it on.
When we have a new intake we ask they wear a school uniform (trousers/skirts and shirts) and every single one for as long as I can remember has worn short sleeves. If they are chilly they wear a jumper, like the cadets.
Unless I’ve missed something we are keeping jumpers aren’t we?
@daws1159 In the winter wear a jumper. We only have long sleeve nonsense for formal due to childlike dress regs that do not reflect modern life.
I only really wear a long sleeve shirt if I go black tie or if we go to a wedding as I quite like cufflinks, but they are proper double cuffed dress shirts.
Exactly, And I’d love to see either a RAFAC Official shop where profits are passed back into the RAFAC, or maybe as a starting block, a region to start one.
CCF(RN) and, as far as I know, SCC still wear long sleeved dark blue shirts with 4s - they’ve not been given Navy blue PCS. Or is their contract also ending? For some time the shirts have been virtually identical.
My vote would be for short sleeved shirts for cadets rather than going down some MTP-only route. Blues for best and MTP for everyday would cost more than at present, assuming it meant they were scaled for both.
Who actually saw RAF blue PCS in the flesh? I didn’t. I’m a fan of the Navy PCS - having spent the day with someone yesterday wearing it I was jealous (though I’ve always had a touch of RN uniform envy!)
I’d happily buy that from an official source and a reasonable price (approx £10?)…
Not the £25 that website is selling it at
Can we have those with rank flaps on the shoulders? Where does the brassard go?
It does need a Woggle to finish it off though…
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Time to ditch the brassard?
Stitch stuff directly onto the shirt like the Scouts/Brownies or buy enough of the above to have a velcro plate put on by the manufacturer in the style of the MTP shirts…?
There is very little they can do that will make me leave.
Changing our standard uniform to a polo shirt with stitched on badges is one of those very few things
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Wheres this?
The polo itself doesn’t look too bad. But yeah, £25 is rather steep.
On camp a couple of years ago, we were given about 10 bags of “scrap” uniform. One of the bags had about 6 full sets of the RAF PCS. To be honest, the RN stuff looks much smarter (probably because it lacks the velcro patches and reinforced forearms that the RAF PCS has).
I still don’t get why everyone is so keen on blue PCS?!?! Everyone else is doing all they can to get barrack shirts and ditch MTP PCS!
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Amen to that
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Is there any actual suggestion that 3A dress will become the standard working uniform, or has someone just got their wires crossed?
There’s zero advantage over just wearing No 3 as far as I can see (and several large disadvantages).
If we loose the blue uniform its just another nail in the coffin of separate cadet forces.