Female Sailors Can Now Purchase New Dress Overblouse, Navy Announces
•February 10, 2026
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Why It Matters
Improved fit enhances comfort, morale, and retention for female sailors while signaling a broader shift toward gender‑responsive uniform standards across the military.
Key Takeaways
- •White overblouse now sold at Norfolk, Arlington, San Diego
- •Global NEX shops receive inventory summer 2026
- •Size Modernization Program targets better fit for today’s sailors
- •11-year research modernizes uniform sizing and design
- •Future uniform updates will focus on male sailors
Pulse Analysis
The U.S. Navy’s Size Modernization Program, launched in September 2024, marks a systematic overhaul of the service’s gender‑specific attire. After more than a decade of research at the Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility, the second phase introduces an optional white, long‑sleeved service‑dress overblouse designed for today’s female body types. Unlike the legacy 1980s‑era cuts, the new garment incorporates standardized measurements and a broader size matrix, reducing the need for post‑purchase alterations. Availability at three Navy Exchange (NEX) locations—Norfolk, Arlington, and San Diego—and online signals the Navy’s commitment to rapid, nationwide rollout.
The immediate benefit is tangible comfort and professional appearance for female sailors, which directly influences morale and retention. By offering a ready‑to‑wear piece that fits correctly out of the box, the Navy cuts alteration costs and streamlines supply‑chain logistics. The overblouse’s release follows extensive “fit evaluations” where service members provided real‑world data, ensuring the design reflects actual wear patterns. Shipping the updated inventory to global NEX shops by summer 2026 further guarantees that sailors stationed abroad can access the same fit standards, reinforcing uniformity across the fleet.
Beyond the Navy, this uniform modernization sets a benchmark for other branches grappling with similar fit challenges. The emphasis on data‑driven design and transparent sizing could accelerate comparable reforms in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, where legacy uniforms still rely on outdated templates. Moreover, the program opens new opportunities for textile manufacturers specializing in performance fabrics and inclusive sizing. As the Navy plans to turn its attention to male uniform updates, the industry will watch closely, anticipating a cascade of procurement contracts that prioritize fit, durability, and gender equity.
Female sailors can now purchase new dress overblouse, Navy announces
SAN DIEGO — The Navy announced that the second phase of their female sailor uniform update is available for purchase at select in-person Navy Exchange Service Command locations, as well as online.
The optional service dress white long-sleeved overblouse, for wear with the service dress blue uniform, is available in Virginia at NEX Norfolk and NEX Arlington and in NEX San Diego, California, uniform shops, according to a Navy Exchange Service Command release.
Global NEX uniform shops will receive shipments of the update in summer 2026.
“The goal of the modernization of sizing and fit is twofold,” said Dr. Brianna Plummer, group leader at the Navy Exchange Service Command’s Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility. “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.”
The Navy Exchange Service Command’s Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility has been at the helm of uniform modernization efforts, working over the last 11 years to help usher in a new era with the Navy that moves away from dress designs that originated from 1980s’ body types.
The Navy announced the first uniform updates in Sept. 24, 2024 as part of the Size Modernization Program, a five-year plan to upgrade female uniforms for sailors.
The goal is to address long-standing problems that female sailors have had with the fit and comfort of past uniforms, and to make uniforms that could accommodate a wide variety of body types.
The NAVADMIN message announced improvements to the summer white overblouse, dress overblouse, service slacks with back pockets and service skirts.
Sailors took part in “fit evaluations,” as part of a service effort to collect data on how best to update the uniforms.
The service will focus on updates to the male uniform in the future, the service said.
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