FEBRUARY 10, 2026 – Female Sailors can now purchase the new optional Service Dress White long-sleeved overblouse for wear with the Service Dress Blue uniform. This is the second uniform item to be designed using size modernization tools. This optional uniform item is now available for purchase at NEX Norfolk and NEX Arlington, Virginia, and NEX San Diego Uniform Shops as well as online at myNavyExchange.com. Other NEX Uniform Shops around the world will begin selling the new overblouse in summer 2026.
The Service Dress White long-sleeved overblouse is made of 60% cotton and 40% polyester fabric with a partial stand collar. Proper sizing and fit can be determined using the modernized sizing and fit charts available in NEX Uniform Shops and on myNavyExchange.com. Manner of wear can be found on MyNAVYHR.navy.mil.
Over the past 11 years, the Navy Exchange Service Command’s Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility has been working with the Fleet to modernize size and fit types to better represent today’s Sailors’ bodies. Previously, the patterns used to manufacture uniforms were developed based on body types from the 1980s and outdated methods for achieving proper uniform fit. Data captured by NCTRF in recent years indicated the necessity to address outdated patterns and fit to modernize sizing and fit types for both female and male Sailors. The tools developed provide greater accuracy in measuring Sailors’ height, circumference ratios and body proportions, which are critical to achieving the best fit the first time, with minimal alterations.
“The goal of the modernization of sizing and fit is twofold,” said Dr. Brianna Plummer, Group Leader at NCTRF. “First, we want to accurately reflect the body types and sizes of today’s U.S. Navy Sailors. Second, we want consistent and clear sizing across all uniform items, so Sailors know what to expect and get the right fit with fewer alterations.”
Throughout the process, Sailors provided critical data points needed by participating in fit evaluations. NEXCOM’s NCTRF utilized both quantitative data and direct feedback about their experiences with uniform items. This information is used to strategically introduce items to the Fleet and improve existing uniforms, so Sailors can more easily determine their size and fit type across mandatory uniform items. The first uniform item transitioned to a modernized sizing was the Summer Dress White short-sleeved overblouse, which was introduced to the Fleet during the 2024 Chief Petty Officer season.
“Improving uniform fit to enhance performance is important for the future of Navy readiness,” said Plummer. “By modernizing sizing and fit, we are able to accomplish just that – deliver better fitting, consistently sized professional uniforms for our Navy warfighters.”
Currently, NCTRF is focusing on modernizing female uniform sizing, while the male sizing system will also be modernized over the coming years. This approach offers long-term gains and will provide the Fleet with a clearly defined size and fit for tops and bottoms based on specific body types.
Courtesy Story
Navy Exchange Service Command