page_title: Mess dress uniform
section_title: New Zealand
hierarchical_section_title: Mess dress uniform / New Zealand
caption_attribution_description: English: Mess dress cape, New Zealand Army Nursing Service, WW2 Belonged to S-N Roberta Spensley, NZANS red wool cloth shoulder length cape; good condition
context_page_description: Mess dress uniform is the semi-formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for certain ceremonies, receptions, and celebrations, in messes or on private occasions. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white dress shirt, often with standing collar and bow tie, along with orders and medals insignia. Design may depend on regiment or service branch, e.g. army, navy, air force, marines, etc. In Western dress codes, mess dress uniform is a permitted supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian black tie for evening wear or black lounge suit for day wear - sometimes collectively called half dress - although military uniforms are the same for day and evening wear. As such, mess dress uniform is considered less formal than full dress uniform, but more formal than service dress uniform.
  Prior to World War II, this style of military uniform was largely restricted to the British and United States Armed Forces, although the French, German, Swedish and other navies had adopted their own versions of mess dress during the late 19th century, influenced by the British Royal Navy.
context_section_description: The Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, and Royal New Zealand Air Force have mess uniforms of similar style to those worn by the equivalent British and Australian services. 
  New Zealand Army mess uniforms authorised for officers have recently been simplified in that the distinctive corps and regimental colours previously worn have been replaced by a universal scarlet and blue pattern with only insignia to distinguish one branch or unit from another.
  Royal New Zealand Air Force mess dress consists of grey/blue jackets, trousers and waistcoats with white shirts and black bow ties. Any medals are displayed above the left breast pocket. Individual flying squadron colours appear on mess dress belts worn by officers. Senior NCOs (sergeants, flight sergeants, and warrant officers) also wear mess dress for various special functions.
caption: Cape worn with the mess uniform for the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, during the First World War.
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