AFI 36-2903 : Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel
Hair
male: a tapered appearance on both sides and back (when viewed from any angle, outlines
the individual’s hair so that it conforms to the shape of the head); will not protrude below
front band of headgear, touch the ears, or exceed 1¼” in bulk; only closely cut hair on the
back of the neck may touch the collar; shaved heads, “high and tights”, and flat-top
military hairstyles are permitted
female: styled to present a professional appearance; may not extend below bottom edge of
collar; will not contain hair ornaments such as ribbons, beads, or scrunchies; conservative
hairpins, elastic bands, etc. may be worn, but must match hair color; long hair must be
secured with no loose ends; will not exceed 3” in bulk or prevent proper wear of
headgear; style must be conservative and not faddish
 mustaches (males only) – must be neatly trimmed; may not extend past corners of the
mouth, or extend downward past lip line of upper lip
 sideburns (males only) – neatly trimmed and tapered; straight and of even width (not
flared); will not extend below lowest part of exterior ear opening
 cosmetics (females only) – must be conservative and in good taste; nail polish must be a
single color complimentary to skin tone, or French manicure; lipstick must compliment
skin tone
 fingernails – must be clean and well-groomed; may not exceed ¼” past tip of finger
Service Dress
 metallic nametag centered on right side between sleeve seam and lapel, parallel with
bottom of ribbons
 ribbons centered and resting on edge of pocket
 tie/tie tab mandatory
 with arms hanging naturally, sleeves should end ¼” from heel of thumbs
Service Blues
male: - nametag centered on edge of right pocket
- ribbons centered on edge of left pocket
female: - nametag centered on right side, even with to 1½” higher or lower than first
exposed button
- ribbons centered on left side, parallel to ground, bottom aligned with bottom
of nametag
 badges worn ½” spaced, as directed
 tie/tie tab optional with short sleeve, mandatory with long sleeve; if worn, tip of tie must
fall on, but not below belt buckle
 long sleeve: with arms hanging naturally, sleeves should extend to heel of thumb
 short sleeve: with arms bent at 90° angle, sleeves should barely touch or come within 1”
of forearm
 military creases prohibited
Trouser/Slacks/Skirts
trousers/slacks:
 front edge rests on front of shoe with slight break in crease
 back edge extends 7/8” longer than front edge
skirt:
 no shorter than top of kneecap nor longer than bottom of kneecap
Flight Caps
 insignia worn 1½” from front and centered top-to-bottom on left side
 worn angled slightly to wearer’s right
 extends 1” from eyebrows
 when not worn, stored on left side (males) or on either side (females), between first and
second belt loops
Other Stuff
 belt/buckle: tip extends through buckle to wearer’s left (males) or right (females), with
no blue fabric showing
 undergarments: undershorts and white v-neck undershirt mandatory with all uniforms
(males); bra and panties mandatory with all uniforms (females); should not be visible
above the collar or otherwise
 pumps (females): heel of max height 1½”; plain, black, smooth leather or man-made
material; no ornamentation (buckles, bows, straps, etc.); no faddish styles
 hose (females): sheer, nylon in neutral, dark brown, black, or dark blue that compliments
skin tone and the uniform; cannot be patterned
 purses (females): plain black leather or vinyl, without ornamentation; may have up to
two shoulder straps with or without gold or silver buckles
 tattoos/brands: excessive tattoos may not be visible while in uniform; inappropriate
tattoos prohibited anywhere on the body
 piercings: prohibited anywhere visible on body while in uniform, with the exception of
females’ earrings (see below)
 watch: 1 only while in uniform
 bracelet: 1 only; conservative, gold or silver; max ½” wide
 rings: maximum 3 on both hands; thumb rings prohibited
 earrings (females): small, conservative, spherical; gold, silver, diamond, or pearl; may
not extend below bottom of earlobe (except for clip in clip-on’s); must be worn in a pair;
worn only in the lower earlobe
 necklaces: not visible while in uniform
 eyeglasses: conservative frames and lenses; worn only as designed (not worn hanging
around neck or on top of head); no sunglasses permitted in formation
 pens/pencils: concealed
Drill Team Uniform Items
beret – worn with flash over the left eye and all excess material pulled down over the right
ear
rope/cord – worn under the left epaulet, grounded to the outermost edge
boots – worn shined, fully laced, with excesses laces tucked in; blue trousers/slacks will be
bloused over the boots
“Sir/Ma’am, the boots that I / my teammates am / are wearing are earned by individual
excellence in drill performance, uniform wear, and knowledge, Sir/Ma’am.”