Navy tests new uniforms for women in push to improve sizing and fit

The Navy is testing new uniform prototypes for women as part of its push to modernize sizing and fit, with nearly 80 sailors participating in a five-day evaluation in Virginia last month.

Scientists, designers, engineers and textile experts from the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility conducted a prototype uniform fit evaluation at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story and the Navy Exchange in Norfolk from Aug. 17 to 21, according to a news release Thursday from Navy Exchange Service Command.

The researchers collected measurements and evaluated prototype slacks, shirts and jumper tops for fit, functionality and sizing accuracy.

The Navy said the modernization efforts aim to replace an “outdated” and “restrictive sizing system” while giving sailors a voice in how the uniforms are designed, according to the release.

A researcher with Navy Exchange Service Command’s Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility records measurement data during a fit evaluation at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va., Aug. 20, 2026.  (Chris Abaya/U.S. Navy)

The service announced its five-year Size Modernization Program in 2024 as a multiphase effort to create more consistent uniform sizing and fit, initially focusing on female uniforms.

The first uniform item updated to modern sizing was the Summer Dress White short-sleeved overblouse, introduced during the 2024 chief petty officer season.

Service khaki slacks with back pockets also became available to female sailors in August.

The Navy’s current fit system includes “Alpha” and “Bravo” categories. However, after fit clinics in 2022, researchers determined that additional categories were needed to ensure all body types are represented, according to the release.

“We are committed to providing certified, high-quality Navy uniforms so that Sailors are comfortable and professional looking so that they can focus on their mission,” Brianna Plummer, group leader at the Navy research facility’s Design & Testing Laboratories, said in the release.

Cmdr. Jennifer Lo, who has served in the Navy for 30 years, said in the release that finding uniforms that fit has been a longstanding challenge.

“I feel like I’m drowning when I wear men’s sizes,” she said.

Lo and other female sailors find that a properly fitted uniform is about more than appearance; it is about “confidence and functional readiness,” the release said.

The research team’s next step is to analyze the measurements and sailor feedback and use the findings to guide future sizing recommendations.

While the research facility is now focused on updating female uniforms, it plans to evaluate male uniform sizing in the coming years, according to the release.