Navy to spend £200k to redesign women’s uniform over ‘inappropriately placed’ buttons
Navy to spend £200k to redesign women’s uniform over ‘inappropriately placed’ buttons
Alexandra Snow Mon, May 11, 2026 at 2:33 PM UTC
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The Royal Navy will reportedly spend up to £200,000 to redesign uniforms for female sailors due to “inappropriately placed” buttons.
An internal document, seen by The Times, indicates the No 1 jacket – worn by the Princess Royal at ceremonial events – will be altered “at the Crown's expense”, meaning taxpayers will bear the cost.
The current uniform features four rows of two buttons, the highest set at breast level, but the new design will reposition all eight buttons lower down, the newspaper reported.
The Times said a Royal Navy temporary memorandum sent to the whole of the fleet said: “The position of the top two ‘decorative’ buttons on the older design of the female officer’s No 1 jacket are deemed to be inappropriately placed.”
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The current uniform has four rows of two buttons (Royal Navy)
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “The Navy is both a modern organisation, which continuously adapts and is also hugely proud of our history.
“This change, which will be brought in over several years, addresses issues raised by serving personnel regarding the fit of female officers’ jackets, and is a positive step for women in the Navy while balancing operational and financial factors.
“The cost of the new jacket will be offset by a reduction in the number of uniforms issued.”
The Times said more than 950 serving female officers will be issued the new uniform in the coming year.
Non-commissioned officers, such as petty officers and warrant officers, only have three rows of buttons and are not affected.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
