*British 1953 Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander’s Mess Dress Uniform Group by Gieves Ltd, Named to J. Goldsmith RN, Mess Jacket, Tropical Mess Jacket, Epaulettes & Case*
A British Royal Navy officer’s mess dress uniform group comprising blue mess jacket, white tropical mess jacket, boxed epaulettes, and original storage case, all named to 583a J. Goldsmith, Royal Navy, and dating to the early post-war period, including the Coronation year 1953.
The group consists of a regulation dark blue double-breasted Royal Navy mess dress jacket by Gieves Ltd, fitted with gilt naval buttons and bearing correct cuff rank lace for Lieutenant Commander, with two medium gold stripes and one narrow stripe above, with executive curl. The jacket is tailored in the traditional waist-length mess dress pattern worn for formal evening dress.
Also included is a white tropical mess dress jacket, worn for warm-climate or overseas service, of cotton drill construction with shoulder fittings for removable rank boards / epaulettes. This type of jacket formed part of Royal Navy mess dress when serving in the Mediterranean, Far East, or other tropical stations.
The set is accompanied by one pair of Royal Navy officer’s epaulettes, housed in their fitted case. (Only one set of epaulettes is present; they are shown fitted to the white jacket in some photographs for display purposes only and are supplied separately in the case.)
Approx. Measurements – Mess jacket chest approx.: 42 cm, White mess jacket chest approx.: 42 cm
Historical Note:
Royal Navy officers were required to purchase their own uniforms from approved naval tailors, the most prestigious being Gieves Ltd of London, long associated with the Royal Navy and later Gieves & Hawkes of Savile Row. Mess dress was worn for formal evening occasions, wardroom dinners, guest nights, and ceremonial functions, and officers commonly owned both dark blue and white versions for temperate and tropical service.
The rank of Lieutenant Commander was a senior officer rank in the post-war Royal Navy, often held by officers serving as executive officers of ships, commanding smaller vessels, or holding specialist appointments ashore or overseas. The presence of both blue and tropical mess dress suggests active service during a period when the Royal Navy maintained significant global deployments.
Named uniform groups of this type are increasingly difficult to find complete, particularly when retaining their original epaulettes and storage case.
*Condition*
Mess jacket with service wear, light marks, and minor age-related fading. Buttons present. Cuff lace intact. White tropical mess jacket with wear, marks, and small stains consistent with use. Shoulder holes present for removable epaulettes. Epaulettes in good condition, contained in original fitted case. Leather case worn with scuffing, surface loss, and strap wear consistent with age and use. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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