Here are some tips to help prep your Tropical Blue Uniform to give it a more formal look for those members who don’t own Winter Dress Blue or Service Dress Blue uniforms. In this article, we will look at pressing your uniform, adding military creases, and tricks for installing your attachments.
PRESSING AND CREASING YOUR UNIFORM SHIRT.
Step 1. Pressing the Shirt.
a. Iron with steam and let cool.
b. Starch with no steam to get wrinkles out (do a panel at a time).
c. The Yoke (figure 1) will need two be starched twice at this step as well as the epilates and collar. This will not be starched later and will help pop your military creases on the back.
Step 2. Adding the military crease to the front on the shirt.
a. The crease will run right through the shirt pocket button. Measure this distance from the edge of the shirt to the button (see figure 2) This will be the distance from the top to the bottom of the shirt.
b. With no steam very lightly press the crease from the button 
down to the bottom of shirt.
c. If you feel the crease is right, press with steam.
d. Now starch and iron twice to set the crease.
e. With no steam very lightly press the crease from the button up to the top of shirt and repeat steps C and D.
f. Repeat step 2 for the other side.
Step 3. Sleeve creases.
a. Fold the sleeve in half with the seam at the bottom of the shirt.
b. Lightly crease the shirt with no steam.
c. If you feel the crease is right, press with steam.
d. Starch twice and flip the shirt and starch the backside twice.
e. Repeat steps A, B, C, and D for the other sleeve.
Step 4. Back Creases (DO NOT CREASE ABOVE THE BOTTOM SEAM OF THE YOKE, SEE FIGURE 3)
a. Fold the shirt in half to find where the middle crease will go. This step should be taken with care. This will make your creases straight or angled. (Align the side seams to get the straight crease). (See figure 4).
b. Once the middle is found, lightly crease with no steam.
c. Press middle crease with steam to set temporarily.
d. If you have a DVD case, you can use it to set the width of the other two creases along the back.
e. Use the DVD case width to find your crease and slowly press the crease with the dry iron. 
f. Press side crease with steam.
g. Repeat steps E and F for other side crease.
h. Start from one side and starch each side of the crease twice.
i. Work your way to the middle and then the other side by following step H.
Now your shirt is squared away and you’re ready to install your attachments.
ATTACHING YOUR INSIGNIA AND DEVICES.
Set you’re ironing table up with a towel folded a couple of times laid on top. Have some white cardboard, a pair of scissors and a ruler (I like to use a clear ruler).
Cardboard will be used behind the attachments to suck them to the shirt which will stop the drooping appearance. A good starching job to the shirt helps keep this from happening as well.
Step 1. Nametag (If you have an AUXOP device follow step 2)
a. First cut a piece of cardboard the same size as your nametag and set aside.
b. A quick method of finding the general area is to align the name’s middle letter (JAMES would be “m”) with the crease and place your name tag so the clutch posts are parallel with your uniform and the bottom of the name tag is against the top of the pocket. (Clutches pointing towards the top of your shirt).
c. Roll the name tag and push the clutch posts through the shirt. This should be close to the ¼ inch spacing from the top of the pocket.
d. Now fine tune the spacing with the ruler.
e. Place the cardboard piece you cut earlier inside of the shirt and align with your name tag and push the clutch posts through the cardboard and secure the clutches to the posts.
f. Check for alignment.
Step 2. Ribbons and Insignia/devise (if you only have ribbons, follow 
steps A through F of step 1)
a. Start with your ribbons and follow steps B, C, and D of step 1.
b. If you have any other insignia/devise follow steps B, C, and D of step 1 using the ribbons like you would the top of the shirt pocket.
c. This step is a little trickier then with your name tag. Take a piece of cardboard (this piece should be white) and place on top of your ribbons and device. Cut cardboard to the general size and then attach like step E and trim as necessary.
d. Once cut to size, attach clutches and check for alignment.(See Figure 5)
I hope these steps will help you ready you’re uniform for the Change of Watch. If you have any questions about getting your uniform ready or any general uniform question, please send me an email.
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