USMC EMBROIDERED 1ST LIEUTENANT RANK INSIGNIA FOR EVENING DRESS

Our Embroidered 1st Lieutenant insignia of grade is worn on both the male and female versions of the Evening Dress jacket as part of the Evening Dress “A” and “B” uniforms. While regulations allow the insignia to be sewn directly onto the straps, our insignia is instead embroidered on a swatch of fabric that is then sewn onto the shoulder straps. (The Evening Dress uniform is the only one in the Marine Corps on which Officers do not wear metal grade insignia.)

To properly attach the embroidered 1st Lieutenant insignia, orient the cloth so that the long axis of the single silver bar is pointed fore and after. Position the cloth so that the insignia is equidistant from the front and rear edges of the shoulder strap and the edge closest to the shoulder is 3/4-inch from the armhole seam.

The Evening Dress “A” uniform is worn at official formal events at which civilians would wear evening clothes or “white tie” attire, while the “B” version is intended for functions that would be classified as “black tie” events for civilians (dinner parties, club affairs, dances, etc.).