Service dress uniform

Senior officers wearing the service dress of the Royal Australian Air Force, US Marine Corps and US Navy.

Service dress uniform is a style of military uniform that is the equivalent of a business suit, i.e. dress clothes - not the very most formal attire yet not casual attire either, but rather pertaining to the traditional Western dress code of informal attire.

In the United States Navy, for example, service dress uniforms are worn for official functions not rising to the level of full dress uniform or mess dress uniform. They are also commonly worn when traveling in official capacity, or when reporting to a command. They are seasonal, with a white uniform worn in summer and a blue version in winter. The Service Dress Blue may be worn year round for travel only. The civilian equivalent is a business suit.

Service Dress uniforms were originally worn on active service in the field (or at sea), but became relegated to the roles of barrack dress and walking out dress as more practical field uniforms evolved. In the British Army, Service Dress is also now used for most ceremonial occasions, mostly replacing in this role the dress uniforms that had preceded them as field uniforms.

Examples of service dress uniforms in different countries and time periods include:

• Service Dress (British Army)
• Service dress of the Irish Army
• Service dress uniform of the United States Navy
• Service dress uniform of the United States Air Force

See also

• Full dress uniform
• Mess dress
• International business attire