The United States Marine Corps’ distinctive sleeve ornamentation for the Officers’ Evening Dress Jacket is manufactured using the same color and texture cloth as the jacket itself. For Field-Grade Officers (O-4 to O-6, or Major to Colonel), gold embroidery thread is used to create a border of “zig-zag” rows of oak leaves and acorns along all edges except the rear of the cloth; the same design is used for General Officers (O-7 to O-10), but the embroidery is larger and in higher relief. Ornamentation for female Field-Grade Officers is similar to that worn by men, but the rear edge of the backing cloth is a diagonal instead of the three-pointed design of male ornamentation.
Generally speaking, Marine Corps Officers in the ranks of Major or higher are required to own an Evening Dress uniform, while it is considered optional for Officers below that rank—but there are exceptions. For instance, all Officers assigned duty as naval attachés or assistant naval attachés must own the Evening Dress uniform, while Captains who have been promoted to Major will have a 120-day grace period in which to purchase one.
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