In the 350th year of the confirmation
of Gold's Dragoons under the Royal Charter of King Charles II we re-established the scarlet mess dress that was worn in
the 1930s, which can be seen above. This is similar to the scarlet drill uniform that all members of Gold's wore on parade
prior to WW II. All mess uniforms are identical and no badges of rank are worn, in keeping with the principle that all members
are equal in the mess. Exceptions are shoulder boards that all members may wear after two years, the gorget worn by members
of the Gold's board of directors and shoulder badges that are presented for troop appointments and skill awards, as explained
below.
Members should be aware that the mess dress is no longer a military
uniform. Gold's Dragoons was de-activated from the Connecticut State Forces many years ago; current members are not subject
to military discipline and are no longer required to serve a fixed term of enlistment. As a mess dress, however, it is appropriate
to be worn at all formal military functions in memory of those whose heritage we share and to encourage support for the armed
forces. Prior military service is not a requirement for membership and the wearing of the mess dress.
The basic mess dress jacket is worn with a black tie, white formal shirt (turned down or winged collar) and
a black vest or cummerbund, over tuxedo trousers or trews. Shoes are plain black or patent leather. The jacket may be worn
with a kilt or non-regimental trews. Miniature medals are worn on the left lapel, above the Gold's collar dog. Only medals
awarded by a country or a US state sanctioned entity are acceptable. Members who have several rows of medals are encouraged
to select their six most senior awards and wear only those.
New members
who have completed their two year probationary period and are attending their third mess dinner or senior members who have
attended three or more dinners in the past may wear double twist shoulder boards covering the shoulder seam. The red leather
strap should be discarded. The neck end of the board is held down by a Gold's button, as explained below. These shoulder
boards may be ordered from a UK web site, messkitonline.co.uk and cost around $30 for the pair.Go to "shop", scroll
down to "Shoulder Boards", scroll down to "Double Twist" and order, for £22. Claim a BFPO address and complete
the form with your correct USA address and credit card details. Please note: the country for delivery is not changeable and
will remain the United Kingdom. Please ignore this contradiction, as the firm will erase the United Kingdom detail and substitute
the US. This will also deduct VAT. Members who wish to purchase the correct footwear for military trews can buy George Boots
from the same source for around $75.
There are no badges of rank on the uniform but officers of the troop who are members
of the corporate board may wear a gorget (pronounced "gore-jet"), suspended from a gold chain and bearing the Royal
Arms, with their mess uniform. Commissioned officers in the 17th and 18th centuries wore such a gorget as a symbol of
their authority and Nathan Gold and his lieutenants would have conformed to that tradition.
The troop may present badges to members who
possess mess dress and are responsible for various activities related to our military past. These are worn on the left sleeve,
centered on the shoulder board and two inches below the shoulder seam. They include the Captain of Polo, Captain of Shooting
and the Master of Horse. All badges are sewn are directly onto the mess jacket.
Skill badges are identical in design to appointment
badges but are worn on the right shoulder and may be presented to members who possess mess dress and have reached a certain
standard in those activities. Equestrian skill is traditional requirement for a former cavalry unit and Gold's may award
a gold spur badge to be worn on the right shoulder, centered on the shoulder board and two inches below the sleeve seam. This
is presented to members who have mess dress and can qualify for one of the following three categories: (1) have played polo
for Gold's Dragoons or another USPA member polo team; (2) have been awarded their colors by the Fairfield County Hounds
or another accredited foxhunt; or (3) have served in a mounted military unit.
The Marksman badge is awarded to winners
of the Daly or Kukri shooting cups who have mess dress and is worn on the right shoulder, centered on the shoulder board and
two inches below the sleeve seam. Only one badge may be worn on each shoulder.
The jacket and waistcoat/vest are custom made by our appointed regimental tailor, so please ensure that all
measurements are correct when ordering. Order forms are available from Ox Gara at oxgara@aol.com. The cost of the jacket is
$164 delivered, which represents extraordinary value. Members may also order a black waistcoat/vest at a cost of $74, delivered,
and is cut in the correct military style with two front pockets and four brass buttons. The buttons on the vest should be
changed to the approved pattern, US Federal Eagle (or letter "D" for Dragoons), small, available from the website
www.ccsutlery.com/store/civil-war-button at a cost of $1.25 each. Senior members ordering shoulder boards will need two more
buttons in the same design, medium size, for around the same price. The final jacket components are two gold lapel collar
dogs which may be ordered at a total cost of $33, including delivery. The collar dogs are worn on the lapel midway between
the bottom of the lapel and where it joins the shoulder seam. Members in good standing should send a check to John Conlin,
at 620 E Hillendale Rd, Chadds Ford PA, 19317. Members may also order a single collar dog to be worn with a tuxedo, at a cost
of $18, including delivery, or as a "sweetheart brooch" in the established military tradition.
To complete the mess dress we have authorized the wearing of trews in the Black Watch
Modern tartan (Hunting Stewart is optional) for both mess dress and tuxedo. These are currently available from the "Heritage
of Scotland" or "The Kilt Society" web sites for around $48, plus mailing cost by Fedex of around $20. They
are artificial fabric but indistinguishable from wool. Wool trews may be available for around $130, including mailing. The
belt loops should be removed in either case and suspender buttons sewn in. The silver buttons should be replaced with black
plastic for the two front buttons and the hip pocket. If the trews are being shortened for use, the back hem should be one
inch lower than the front. Important note: trews are not trousers and have a higher waistline - take measurements two inches
above your normal waist and err on the side of one size larger, as you will be using suspenders. The web sites www.heritageofscotland.com/category/men
and https://kiltsociety.com/collections/tartan-trousers/products/tartan-trews. Convert the currency at the top of the
web page into dollars and the cost should reduce by 20%, as no VAT is owed.
Mess dress rarely requires headdress or covers,
but when needed the correct version is a British Army beret, dark blue, with a Gold's collar dog cap badge worn over the
left eye. British berets are preshrunk and require some shaping. For correct version see Affiliated Units tab and VCA Evacuation
Day ceremony. The preferred source is Silvermans of London, www.silvermans.co.uk/collections/clothing/Headwear+Berets. Scroll
to Beret Navy, add your size and select the "officer" version for around $30.
Members who do not wish to wear their own unit mess dress or order the Golds Dragoons mess dress are encouraged
to wear the Black Watch trews with their tuxedo, which is an established military practice. Heritage of Scotland or The Kilt
Society, both of Scotland, are the recommended suppliers.
Existing
and new members are under no obligation to order the mess dress but it serves as a unique and direct link to the history of
Gold's Dragoons and our Royal Patron, over 350 years ago. We encourage the wearing of the mess dress on all appropriate
formal evenings, including non-Gold's Dragoons events. As members retire or move to other parts of the USA or abroad we
need to continually attract suitable new members and the distinctive mess dress is our best recruiting sergeant.
