The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy has broadened its mess dress code policy to incorporate the sari as part of its efforts to embrace diverse cultural identities for formal and ceremonial occasions.
This decision aligns with a broader initiative to represent the cultural heritage of Royal Navy personnel. Lance Corporal Jack Kanani, who serves as the chair of the Royal Navy’s Race Diversity Network (RNRDN), recently confirmed the update, which falls under the force’s “Cultural Equivalent” initiative.
“As Chair of the Royal Navy Race Diversity Network (RNRDN), it gives me great pleasure to announce that the existing Royal Navy (RN) cultural mess dress policy has just been updated to include wider forms of British cultural identity,” Kanani stated.
The Royal Navy already permits traditional attire representing Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Cornish, and Manx heritage, such as kilts and tartan dresses, for formal naval mess functions. The latest update expands on this by allowing personnel to honor their cultural roots while adhering to mess dress requirements.
Kanani highlighted that the Cultural Equivalent initiative began more than two years ago. The Race Diversity Network sought input from ethnic minority personnel within the Royal Navy to gauge how an expanded dress policy might enable them to celebrate both their military and cultural identities.
“The RNRDN’s initiative, coined the Cultural Equivalent, initially began over two years ago. The Network canvassed opinions from ethnic minority service personnel to understand how widening existing policy on cultural mess dress would make them feel able to celebrate both their RN and cultural heritage,” he explained.
He further elaborated that the newly revised guidelines now acknowledge other cultural groups that serve within the Royal Navy.
“The update in policy now widens that to be inclusive of other British cultures that serve within the RN,” he added.
A post shared on social media illustrated this change through an honorary female captain dressed in a white sari, paired with a white shirt, bow tie, and mess jacket.
Naval mess dress regulations mandate strict uniform standards above the waist, requiring officers to wear their uniform jackets with trousers, a tartan kilt, or a skirt. With the updated policy, the Royal Navy hopes its officers will be able to display their heritage by incorporating elements such as a sari or African attire, while still complying with mess dress guidelines by pairing these outfits with the required jacket, shirt, and bow tie.
Despite the intended inclusivity of the move, some critics have voiced concerns. One former high-ranking naval officer argued that the change undermines the purpose of military uniformity.
“The reason for uniform in a disciplined fighting service is to achieve a common identity, not to accentuate the differences… Rather than running a fashion parade, what this team should have been doing is to help recruit sailors from diverse cultural backgrounds,” remarked Retired Rear Admiral Philip Mathias, responding to Kanani’s social media announcement.
However, the Royal Navy’s Race Diversity Network defended the policy revision, asserting that it accurately represents the diversity within its ranks.
Additionally, the Network clarified that the image shared on social media, depicting the honorary captain in a sari, was from an earlier research phase of the Cultural Equivalent initiative. It emphasized that the image does not necessarily reflect how different cultural garments will be worn under the updated mess dress regulations.