SNCO Mess Dress - gen needed

[Cheeky-Chopper-Chipper]

Hi All,
First post on this Forum so I'll start with an apology as I know this will start the old sweat SNCOs moaning.
I've just got my 3rd, and yes, I did receive my £250 Mess Dress Grant. As my place seems to be pretty poor at disseminating information, can anybody please give me the gen on getting a Mess Dress uniform. What exactly do I need to get, can any of it be bought from service sources (I heard you can get shirts), and what exactly do I need in the form of shoes/shirts/medals etc.
Also, I realise this new grant is supposed to help newly promoted SNCOs, but as it's only £250 and the average price seems to be around £450 WITHOUT shirt/shoes/medals, does anyone know any more about this supposed new contract for issuing a mess dress uniform, and can I just get one issued and give the grant back?
Cheers all, any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated (and if you want some extra brownie points and a few beers, anyone got a 2nd hand set for sale that would fit my 6'3 height?

 

[Weebl]

No idea about mess dress being issued, sorry.

You need the mess dress (obviously) which consists of trousers and jacket. You need a white, non wing collar shirt, preferably marcella fronted (you can buy this from stores as an officers mess dress shirt) Then a black bow tie, (or squadron colours if allowed at your unit) tie up ones look better than pre tied but require practice. A slate grey or Squadron coloured cummerbund helps keep the gut in. Shoe wise you need very shiny black ones. Last thing is miniature medals, this place did mine and were good.

HTH

 

[Digzster]

There ARE promotions!

There ARE promotions!

CCC, congrats on getting your 3rd.

Regarding your query on mess dress. There is no obligation to get one at all if you do not want to shell out at this time. For a formal function, you can wear No. 1's with a marcella fronted white shirt & bow tie. OK, it is definitely not as comfortable as mess dress and certainly would make you look a poor relation to (Mrs CCC?) in her ball gown! By the way, if you think mess dress is expensive, wait till you get her bill!

You can get the shirts from clothing stores for a fee, you can also get black patent leather oxfords there as well (as your dancing shoes)!

For 2nd hand mess dress, try looking at the RAF Sales & Wants on the Intranet

 

[FOMz]

Or look here

 

[Soon To Leave]

Congratulations on your promotion.

My advice would be hang fire a while before splashing out £200 or more of your own hard earned. Purchase of mess kit is not compulsory so see how you fit your own life with mess life first. There are a lot of us out here that have been SNCOs for a long time but have never attended a formal event requiring mess kit. My own reasons are that as a liver-in, I travel home at weekends therefore missing the bigger events that usually take place on Friday and Saturday evenings. On the other hand I am able to attend the the less informal functions in the week.

Yes I do have mess kit but in 10 years of being a SNCO, have never worn it, but fortunately, only paid £20 for it.

 

[the lovetoad]

I just picked up a new mess dress from Snaiths at Cranwell £285 all in except miniatures (got them on ebay)
Give them a call on 01400 261866.
Even if you are nowhere nrear the lincs area it's still cheaper to travel down than to pay £450

 

[Downsizer]

Pretty sure the tailor at Halton does them for about 270 smacks...

 

[ICATQ]

Mess Dress is going to be issued (to RAF).

In the interim they are making one off payments in the form of a grant.

Think it is about £250.

No excuses for not getting one and attending Mess functions.

As for buying stuff, the shirts are available through supply, £7 I think and the shoes too, were about £15 but may have gone up, all still cheaper than through the usual outlets.

There was a problem getting the shirts - although I think that has been resolved as I got a new one end of last year.

No surprises the tailor at Halton does it for 250!!

 

[NotAnIDOYet]

When you hit Halton for IMLC get 9 others from the course to pop across the tailor's shop. He will knock them out for £250 (Jacket, trousers, shirt, cummerbund and dickie bow). Order by the middle of week 1 and you will all be as smart as nice shiney buttons for your dining-in night in week 3.

Best deal I know of at the moment, I am considerably larger than the average chap so I got an excellent deal!

I know the £250 grant thing is a bit unfair but I think it is a bit of a cheek not to spend it on the Mess Dress when others have forked out good money of their own buying theirs. If you take your first month's pay rise (this is the tradition) and add it to the £250 your Aunt Lizzie is giving you gratis then you are quids in.

Alternatively, if you do not want to be part of the traditions of the UK armed forces and a member of the most exclusive club still left in the world then by all means tell ACOS Manning to stick their third stripe where the sun don't shine.

BTW, you may have guessed that I did not get a grant!

 

[millie]

Just a freindly heads up on the the Halton suggestion, the 2 courses previous to mine did not get their mess dress in time for dining in night as promised, our course therefore heeded those experiences and didn't go there. May have just been a particularly busy period!

 

[NotAnIDOYet]

Just a freindly heads up on the the Halton suggestion, the 2 courses previous to mine did not get their mess dress in time for dining in night as promised, our course therefore heeded those experiences and didn't go there. May have just been a particularly busy period!

Off TopicIf this does happen then leaves more room to negotiate on prices!!

We had a couple did not get theirs but they ordered late in week 1. Get his mobile number off the door on the Sunday night and get him to come into his shop or even better into the Mess ante room on the Monday or Tuesday.Off Topic

Back on original topic, shirts from supply afre not the nicest (mine is too stiff on the front and too short). You can jazz the shirt up by changing the buttons. Dont get medals done at Halton, you can get much cheaper online (messkit.com are cheap IIRC) and you can pretty much please yourself with shoes (mine are Officer issue DMS with painted caps courtesy of our spray bay!).

Hope this helps...

 

[ICATQ]

Dont get medals done at Halton, you can get much cheaper online (messkit.com are cheap IIRC) ..

Second the use of messkit - they turn them round in quick order - handy if you need them done lastminute.com

 

[rest have risen above me]

Mess Dress is going to be issued (to RAF).

In the interim they are making one off payments in the form of a grant.

Think it is about £250.

No excuses for not getting one and attending Mess functions.

As for buying stuff, the shirts are available through supply, £7 I think and the shoes too, were about £15 but may have gone up, all still cheaper than through the usual outlets.There was a problem getting the shirts - although I think that has been resolved as I got a new one end of last year.

No surprises the tailor at Halton does it for 250!!

When was you last in stores...lol I'm not sure about shirts but shoes are £49 but a place on the net called "Surplus and Outdoors" does them for 35

 

[ICATQ]

When was you last in stores...lol I'm not sure about shirts but shoes are £49 but a place on the net called "Surplus and Outdoors" does them for 35

At the risk of being picked up by the mods for being pedantic.....end of last year!! and I did say the shoes may have gone up

DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[POW]

We took a trip to Cranwell and bought a off the peg mess dress for OH. It had to be altered and was sent my post once completed. He had his medals court mounted, belt thing, rank tabs and that came to about £350. If you go into your clothing stores the shirts are just over £5. Braces and bow tie cheap from Ebay, he got the whole thing for under £400 and he did it without any allowance.

Have a shop around and good luck.

 

[R_Squared]

.... as it's only £250...

There is no pleasing some people. DT_Xtremez_25: