Just think of this like the badge situation. The reason we have to go and buy most of our own badges is because it costs the MoD a lot more money to setup the initial contract and to get the supply going.
ā¦and the irony there is that instead of going to an actual manufacturer we went to a world-renowned ripoff third party reseller and paid more than 5 times the actual cost.
Perhaps theyāre basing the Ā£8m estimation on getting CD to supply us.
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I quite like the currentā¦ Wouldnāt mind binning off 2c in favour of the issuing of greens (barrack style instead of the pcs stuff)
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Iād bring in a fancy ceremonial uniform. With tunic collars, gold braid and lots of tassels. (Obviously this would be issued to officers but private purchase to SNCO/WO who would nonetheless be expected to wear it 
)
Think RAF Band but more bling
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Tbh I donāt want to see a change in uniform but I would like to see MTP actually be supplied, considering that it is used quite a lot and some people either struggle to buy it themselves or are confused by the fact that there is no central way to buy it - or both (me).
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Probably what you ccf lot are doing anyways
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Nah. Iāve got them in RNAS uniform for ceremonial and RFC uniform for day to day parades.
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Sorry, those figures are laughable. In the 2005 or so period CS95 trousers and shirt were about Ā£5 each on the supply contract. The windproof smock was about Ā£20 if I recall, and the softie was about Ā£15. Iād be astonished if the smock, a shirt, two pairs of trousers and a couple of t-shirts touched Ā£60ā¦
I donāt know if they made those figures up, or heard them from someone else who made them up, but they are made up.
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If the RAFAC canāt afford to pay for it and issue it outright, then a source that wonāt charge an arm and leg, and would be the same supply rather than a variety of manufacturers, with varying quality.
I think people would be more inclined to pay for it if it was affordable and knew it was current
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When uniform is issued, the purchase cost through the supply system gets paid and accounted for on a particular budget.
If we really wanted to, we could set up an internal purchase option where kit is ordered and paid for by the end user. The cost would be the same, standard cost the MOD pays, it would come out of some MOD budget, but that pot could be maintained by the payments from cadets and staff.
MOD incurs no additional costs, cadets and staff get new kit at a fair price. All exactly like the way that clothing stores sell certain items direct to personnel.
What it would need would be an adjustment to the supply to cater for the increased demand, which may have some contractual issues. I certainly canāt imagine a manufacturer declining to sell more of their product though, so, assuming that they are equipped to meet the demand, I wouldnāt expect that itād be a big problem.
To be fair, I reckon that if someone draughted a submission for the Commandant heād look at it sensibly. Heās already keen to massively improve the supply system for us. This wouldnāt be a million miles away.
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Worked for the scouts. In fact, I worked at the last incarnation of The Scout Shop before Blacks bought it out (it was Outdoors at that point) well remember the shelves full of various scout shirts, cub and beaver sweaters, etc. Made it very easy for parents.
That would work, though it would only save MOD the cost of one shirt.
Fundamentally the uniform should be
practical
available
āsmartā (ie look like a uniform)
low cost
considering what we have currently, i would say the No2/No3 uniform options we have work.
both are suitable in the application intended for. (after all it is good enough for the RAF)
Practical - Blues by default, with Greens reserved for anything ādirtyā (eg rolling around on the floor/working āin the fieldā)
Available - ok so supply through the expected channels isnāt great, and rarely at the CFAVs/Cadets convenience (ie picked up from somewhere before issued at unit), but other than the most extreme sizes in my 20 or so years although known of shortages, there have never been a time when people have gone withoutā¦either there have been ways around it (asking neighbouring Sqns/the Wing) or it was never an issue long enough to cause a notable problem.
Smart - I think both No2 and No3 are āsmartā - I often remind the Cadets that No2 (be it A, B or C) is a suit; polished shoes, pressed trousers (or skirt), a neatly pressed shirt, with the optional/additional tidy knotted tie, and neat jumper - little different to what i wear to work.
No3s are obviously less āsmartā but can still be worn smartly, and through uniformity allows for smartness
Although i can see the argument based on cost, I am against a single uniform (ie Greens) for the the RAFAC - as mentioned by others, we are the RAFAC
there were once arguments that the RAFAC should be allowed to wear MTP/PCS to be taken seriously by the Regulars - and feel weād lose an element of that if we only had MTP
low cost - I have gone almost 20 years without needing to pay for an item of my uniform since my first camp as a CFAV when I wanted more short sleeved blue shirts and convenience made it easier to buy them over requesting through the system. I recently bought a replacement beret simply through convenience as there was none my size on unit or nearby.
I am happy to pay for footwear, but otherwise have been able to either be issued, or scrounge kit from a helpful regular happy to help, a storeman happy to look the other way, or being lucky - most of my later CS95 came from time on camp when a āthrow outā by the stores of half a dozen bags of uniform was sifted through after the Cadet had their turn.
Critically the Cadets get uniform issued for free, and ok so No3 isnāt always the best quality (certainly in the CS95 days) but on every unit i have been on been able to offer every new recruit a full set.
so what is my āidealā?
What we have already but with improved supply/availability as i feel that is the weakness element of the uniform we have.
(i could be persuaded into added the availability of Cadet sizes into that too)
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A ānavy styleā PCS for day to day stuff.
Keep Wedgwood shirts and tie for formal.
Keep MTP / CS95 (I still have it and wear it!) for green activity.
MTP Shorts
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Youāve reminded me that I have some DDPM shorts somewhere and Iāve not seen them for a few years.
ā¦and now I miss them 
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Ideal RAFAC uniform? What the RAF wears.
Now that might need some discussionā¦ as the current uniform was designed in the days of better quality manufacture.
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What exactly are RAFAC Officers issued in their initial outfitting? Is the allowance still provided?
In theory;
Trousers,
Belt,
Jumper,
Shirt short sleeve (X2),
Shirt long sleeve (X3),
Peak cap,
Beret,
Tie,
Rain jacket,
GPJ,
Shoes DMS,
Shoes Oxford,
Number 1s (Inc gloves),
Socks.
Think thatās everything 
feel like Iāve missed something but I canāt think whatā¦
Yes, the allowance is a thing. It isnāt much and wouldnāt actually pay for anything, though.
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Itās just over Ā£20. Per year.