I love a man in uniform -- Request #1

Well, I got quite a number of requests clamoring to see more of Shayn in uniform (out of uniform is a different request altogether!!), so I did another photo shoot of my insatiable Army Ranger fooling around in some "formal" wear.

Rather than the backstory on the character - which you already have - I decided to give you a little backstory on the uniform.

This is called a "Mess Dress" uniform and is used for formal occasions. The uniform itself is vintage late 1940's - early 1950's and was originally a lieutenant's uniform - it is now a commander's uniform. The original two braids (one 1/2" and one 1/4" denoting a lieutenant second class) were replaced by three 1/2" braids. It is made of a very dense, very soft worsted wool that resists wrinkles and wears like iron.

In the United States Navy, a commander is above the rank of lieutenant commander, below the rank of captain, and is equivalent in rank to a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. A commander may command a frigate, destroyer, submarine, aviation squadron or shore installation, or may serve on a staff. A commander who commands a vessel may also be referred to as "Captain" as a courtesy title, or informally referred to as "skipper."

The braiding and line stars on the sleeves were very discolored, so I replaced them. The bullion braiding hasn't changed a whit in sixty years, but the line stars have changed a great deal.

The vintage ones were actually heavy gold thread with miniature chains holding them in place on a black wool background. The "modern" ones are cheaply machine-embroidered stars on a black fabric background. Ebay proved to be an excellent source and I was able to find a good pair of line stars (on a uniform, of course!) for a good price. I had my tailor swap the stars and resold the uniform!

The shirts are "official" USN tuxedo shirts, as are the studs and the cufflinks in the "black tie" pictures. The gold cummerbund is also the "official" navy regulation color - not yellow, not gold, but this particular color.

USN regulations state that for "white tie" events, a white pique tie and vest are required, and the vest must have three gold USN official buttons. Well, I found the vest, but had to order buttons separately and remove the mother of pearl ones and sew on the gold ones.

I always seem to have the most fun with the "Derl" molds of masks, and this particular photo shoot was indeed a pleasure - not only because of what I was doing, but because I know that I'm making several folks quite aroused ...