Seamen show their sense of fashion

It was not exactly what any of them had in mind when they enlisted, but this week seven able seamen in Portsmouth have been working as models to give 500 sailors an opportunity of expressing an opinion on seven different uniforms submitted by civilian and naval designers at the request of the service. In groups of 20 the sailors have watched their mates parade the new uniforms and then filled in a questionnaire, awarding points to each style. Audiences at the modelling sessions have been limited to 20 on the advice of a Ministry of Defence psychologist. He suggested that if a large group of sailors was let in to observe the modelling sessions, the comments might not be as controlled as the Admiralty wanted. Instead, the models - all of them volunteers - have come through with a minimum of catcalls, wolf-whistles, and ribbing. Yesterday, a special show was put on for the press from which all sailors but the models were excluded. Somewhat self-consciously, each of the models walked on to the Victoria Theatre’s stage yesterday, most of them suffering from the same problem that besets amateur actors - not knowing what to do with their hands. Eight strides one way, eight strides back, and a pause to demonstrate how the blue collar of the particular uniform detached itself, completed the individual performance. Then all returned to stand in line with an eighth sailor in the present uniform, for comparisons to be made. A committee of 16 senior naval officers, including three Wrens, will take the final decision on the new uniforms after the opinions of the 500 ratings have been analysed. The new uniform will be given to 100 sailors for a 12-month trial before it is finally issued to 25,000 ratings. A survey of more than 2,000 sailors last year indicated that most men wanted a uniform which was easier to maintain and easier to get on and off, but there was no general desire for the new uniform to look radically different from the present “square rig” design. Supplied with results of the survey, each of the designers has discarded the old tubular bell-bottom trousers, which required five or seven - according to the height of the seaman - horizontal creases, which had to be put in with an iron.