I suppose there has always been some of the men in the armed services who wanted to improve upon the uniform. I know the U S Navy was certainly like that. Speaking strictly about the Navy. The first chance we got we would go to a tailor and have our dress uniform made to fit. And if we could afford it ... There were those uniforms made by tailors that were made out of good quality fabrics. Just about every sailor wanted them. And then there was the fancy embroidery by the Japanese and Chinese that we would have sewn on. Of course, all this was non-regulation. So the embroidery was sewn under the cuffs. So when we went on libery ... we would go to a locker club in town and change from our old regulation uniform and put on our tailor-mades ... and put our sailor white-hats on the back of our heads ... roll up our cuff to display our embroidery work. Were we really 'salty' ... huh? I got a letter from Eddie Pinson the other day. He sent me a photo of his embroidery-work ... (a dragon). He said "Here is what I had on my Gabardine's."

I had a tailor-made uniform in the middle 50's ... I bought it from one of the guys who was being discharged. It was made out of 'Shark-skin' cloth, and had 16 inch bells, with 'Mermaids' under the cuffs.

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