Officer No.5 Mess Dress - Best place to buy

You probably won’t scrounge on with biscuits but Cranwell stores will sell you a set for about £150.

You could splash out on a new set from Turner & Virr for about £500.

There was a company that used to make Mess Dress Onesies

Surely it would be called a Number Onesie.

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Have we not tried to trademark that yet?

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Mess dress is Fivesie, surely.

It’d be more comfy and when you spill something down it easily washed.

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Back on topic… RAF Halton Tailor has a surprising amount of officer mess dress, considering the station’s remit, and of course can do necessary alterations.

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Thread resurrection…

With the demise of Turner and Virr [Sic], and websites quoting 1400 (Goodalls), where are people getting their No5s from?
Ebay has a terrible selection of Cold War items and Snaiths are ‘out of stock.’

Depending on size…

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I know a few staff have used Ceto Militaria with some success maybe have a look to see what they have.

Good luck in your search

I have recently acquired a full set but ended up buying from several different places, ebay for the jacket and waistcoat with trousers (the all 3 set was no good sizing on the trousers so resold) got a set of trousers from Ceto Militaria, shirt online and a pair of mess dress shoes from cadet direct. With the reselling of the trousers I got a full set for £75 including tailoring from a cadets parent! The tailors will always say if in doubt go bigger as they can bring it in no problem.

Do the colours match, I always find that sets bought separately end up not the same.

Apart from the obvious re-ranking with the braid as the new braid is bright gold. I have done fine with colour matching (could have been good luck) but for the 1 or 2 times a year use it gets, it’s perfect.

If you post sizes needed it may help find what you need. I have a set of No5s and No1s I need to sell for a friend.

The only other option you have is to ring the likes of Cranwell Stores and see if they have any part worns for sale.

42" Chest Regular Length.

38" Waist Regular Length.

Scrounger - What size ??

I have a spare set in good condition, going cheap as I need the wardrobe space. 40" chest, 32" waist. Currently ranked as Plt Off. Happy to post them out for someone to try on, as long as you post them back at your expense if they don’t fit.

No1 and 5 jacket are 96R. I’d say trousers for the 5s are a 30R but not 100%. No trousers for the No1’s.

Both ranked to Flt Lt.

Thanks, but too tight I’m afraid :slight_smile:

Mine (tailor made by Goodalls, £600 back in about 2008) don’t match anyway - the jacket is a brushed soft finish and the trousers are more like no. 1 material (but no. 5 cut i.e. right up under the nipples)

No5s from Goodalls is now £1250