Uniform Updates for the Star Army of Yamatai

[Wes]

Let's remember this thread began with cute real-life female sailors in sailor uniforms:

• Example 1
  
• Example 2
  
• Example 3

The proposed summer uniform would just be a white dress version.

 

[Cora]

....
I shouldn't really say anything but, why are you showing us WINTER uniforms?

 

[Wes]

Because the proposed uniform is for Nekovalkyrja, a race entirely composed of attractive females who are mostly in the military.

 

[Wes]

Here's a crappy edit of what it might look like.



As shown it's not any more revealing than the Type 30A duty uniform.

 

[Cora]

.... That doesn't look suited for the military at all, even for off duty. It's too civilian looking, Military off duty still holds some trappings of the standard uniform. That's just a dress with patches and a hat.

 

[Wes]

I'm thinking of adding a "Class B" uniform that would be a simple uniform worn under the black service dress coat.

It would be basically just the sweater, like this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/7 ... L1500_.jpg

The sweater could have a patch on the arm and rank embroidered on the wrists. It would be worn with a standard skirt from the existing duty uniforms.

Thoughts?

 

[Aendri]

I've said it before, I'm sure I'll say it again, but I'm against going still further away from the older uniforms. The justification for them not being around (such as the dress whites) was that you wanted less uniforms, originally, and yet you keep adding more and more that takes them further and further away from the bodysuits. Stop whittling away at what made Yamatai popular for lots of us older players.

 

[Kai]

I have that exact sweater and used it as a base for my SAoY cosplay.

That being said, I kind of agree with Aendri- there are way too many options for SAoY uniforms, many of which look good. I think rather than making even more new ones we should instead focus on making one of the existing uniforms more standard and accepted as what everyone wears.

I also agree with bringing back Dress whites in some form- they are very snazzy and much classier than that black coat.

 

[Wes]

You say the formal whites were classier than the current jacket. Is that just because of the color? Remember, the female dress whites were a mini-dress with thigh-high boots.

there are way too many options for SAoY uniforms

Do you mean individual customization options like boot colors or do you mean the number of actual uniforms available? The dress whites were dropped to decrease the amount of uniforms used.

 

[Doshii Jun]

The problem with the coat is that it's not a real uniform — it's a coat. The hat was supposed to add a formal touch, and did, but not many folks liked the hat, which still reminds me of World War I-era attire.

The dress whites, no matter their shape, looked better because they were a real uniform and were white. Most of us have seen footage or movies of naval officers wearing their formal whites, and we picture that as formal attire and a step up above the working uniform.

What you're talking about here is adding a less formal option to the same coat.

I'll go out on a limb and say Kai's talking about too many uniform options. Working uniform, jumpsuits, the older Type 30s, the stretchsuits ... you get the idea. Correct me if I'm wrong, Wes, but the Army's got the one ACU/Multicam uniform, right? And then the dress blues? That's two.

 

[Wes]

Well, if you look at it, the Star Army only has three (main) uniforms:

- Field Uniform (camo, for ground ops)
- Working Uniform (for work on ships)
- Duty Uniform ("Business" attire) with option of Service Dress Coat and Hat

A 4th uniform, the bodysuit, has only been reauthorized for wear due to war demands. All the other uniform types (exercise, scrubs, flight suit, AMES, EPJs, etc) are situational only.

The idea would be to allow the service dress coat to be worn without needing the duty uniform underneath.

 

[Doshii Jun]

But there's several versions of the Duty Uniform that aren't coalesced. Mostly the Type 30s, which stand today as the duty uniforms, with the working uniform worn by the lower ranks who aren't in duty uniforms.

What uniform function does dress coat + (plainclothes?) fulfill?

 

[Aendri]

And you're leaving out the fact that there are two different type 30s. I just dislike adding more and more that moves away from the Yamataian "look" for lack of a better word.

Also, yes, the dress whites were much more like a uniform than the jacket and hat (both of which I dislike regardless), and generally looked much more formal than anything we have now.

 

[Wes]

What uniform function does dress coat + (plainclothes?) fulfill?

It basically lets one go out and about in the frock without the complication of a duty uniform, kind of like how if you're wearing an Army Class A uniform (with the dark green jacket with your medals on it) and you take it off, you're not expected to have another set of medals on the light green shirt (as in the Class B where the outer jacket is omitted).

And it would be easier to cosplay.

I dunno, maybe we should just go retro and reactivate the old whites and old dress uniform.

 

[Doshii Jun]

The biggest problem we had with the whites — and those who have experienced differently can correct me — is that we essentially never use them. That's why they were easy to phase out.

Plotships are too busy hurtling from one mission to the next. Award ceremonies used to involve posts from Star Army Personnel Command listing our medals, and that was it. There was never time taken to roleplay out an awards ceremony, so no need for formal whites.

We also don't really have any roleplay where we've got PCs even in duty uniforms actually wearing their medals. Not like how the U.S. Army does it, anyway. How often are PCs on Kyoto doing anything but either walking the town in plainclothes or relaxing on base?

I know, it puts some harsh on your train of thought. What I want to know is, what's that train of thought and what's it trying to accomplish with the uniforms now? Did something happen that spurred this new thought about sweaters and stuff?

 

[Wes]

I was just looking for provide something a little more simple as an option.

As for medals: Yeah, they're basically never worn and I guess they'd be worn on the duty uniforms. I have some art showing Yui wearing hers, but it's old pencil lineart only. I am tempted to revamp them somehow so they fit.

Award ceremonies: In the Eucharis we roleplay award ceremonies, complete with formations, service dress coats and hats, and sometimes singing the ship song or reciting the Star Army creed. We also wear our service dress jackets around downtown Kyoto.

 

[Wes]

What does everyone think of Star Army ground forces using a green garrison cap instead of the sailor hat or the black beret?

 

[Amaryllis]

I'm not fan of that hat. I'd prefer seeing them wear the patrol cap.

 

[Kai]

Pretty sure that's already taken, Wes.

 

[Aendri]

I prefer the beret.