In general the uniforms of the British Navy correspond quite closely to those of the United State Navy in composition and design and are worn upon similar occasions, although they are somewhat more elaborate, but the insignia are of different design.
Commissioned officers must provide themselves with full dress, ball dress, frock coat dress, blue mess dress, white mess dress, blue undress and white undress.
The full dress is very nearly the same in style and design to the special full dress of the United States naval officer, the ball dress is practically the same as the evening dress of the United States naval officer and the frock coat dress and blue and white mess dress the same as the corresponding United States naval uniforms. The blue undress uniform of the British naval officer differs from the service dress of the United States naval officer in that the coat worn with it is a square cut, double-breasted sack coat with turn-down collar and rolling lapels with two rows of four buttons each down the front. The white undress of the British officer is the same as the white service dress of the American officer.
The rank of British naval officers is shown by insignia of rank on the tops of the epaulets with uniforms with which epaulets are worn, but with all of the blue uniforms the rank is also indicated by stripes of gold lace braid around the sleeves of the coat above the cuff. The number and arrangements of these rank stripes are shown in the accompanying illustration.
British Navy.
Officers’ sleeve decorations indicating rank
| 1. Admiral of the Fleet | 2. Admiral | 3. Vice Admiral |
| 4. Rear Admiral | 5. Commodore | 6. Captain |
| 7. Commander | 8. Lieutenant Commander | 9. Lieutenant |
| 10. Sub Lieutenant | 11. Chief Gunner and Chief Boatswain | 12. Midshipman |
British Navy.
Officers’ shoulder straps
| 1. Admiral of the Fleet | 2. Admiral | 3. Vice Admiral |
| 4. Rear Admiral | 5. Commodore, 1st Class | 6. Commodore, 2nd Class |