Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Royal Navy mess dress code now allows saris

Policy change reflects UK's 'diverse cultural heritage and inclusion'

Royal Navy mess dress code now allows saris

An honorary female captain in a white sari, paired with a white shirt, bow tie, and mess jacket, alongside Royal Navy officers and other attendees dressed in cultural attire.

IN AN effort to reflect the diversity of modern Britain, the Royal Navy has expanded its mess dress code policy for formal and ceremonial occasions to include ethnic outfits, including the sari.

Lance Corporal Jack Kanani, chair of the Royal Navy’s Race Diversity Network, recently announced the update to the dress code as part of the force’s wider “cultural equivalent” initiative.


The existing code for naval mess events already covers Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Cornish and Manx heritage, represented through the wearing of kilts and tartan dresses.

“As chair of the Royal Navy Race Diversity Network (RNRDN), it gives me great pleasure to announce that existing Royal Navy (RN) cultural mess dress policy has just been updated to include wider forms of British cultural identity,” said Kanani.

“The RNRDN’s initiative, coined the Cultural Equivalent, initially began over two years ago. The network canvased opinions from ethnic minority service personnel to understand how widening existing policy on cultural mess dress would make them feel able to celebrate both their RN and cultural heritage,” he said.

“The update in policy now widens that to be inclusive of other British cultures that serve within the RN,” he added. In a social media post, he illustrated this change with an honorary female captain wearing a white sari, with a white shirt and bow tie along with her mess jacket.

Regulations for naval mess dress have strict rules for above the waist, requiring all officers to sport their uniform jackets with trousers, a tartan kilt or a skirt.

Now, the network hopes Royal Navy officers will be able to celebrate their heritage by wearing a sari or an African outfit coupled with their jacket, shirt and bow tie.

The move has attracted some criticism, with one veteran saying it exposes the “Royal Navy to ridicule”. “The reason for uniform in a disciplined fighting service is to achieve a common identity, not to accentuate the differences... Rather than running a fashion parade, what this team should have been doing is to help recruit sailors from diverse cultural backgrounds,” Retired Rear Admiral Philip Mathias said in response to Kanani’s social media announcement.

The Royal Navy’s Race Diversity Network defended the expansion of the dress code as “reflective of the diverse workforce that serve within it”.

It also clarified that an image accompanying the post on social media was taken during an earlier research phase of the Cultural Equivalent initiative and not illustrative of how different forms of cultural dress will be worn with mess dress under the updated regulations.

More For You

 electricity-pylons-iStock

From 2026, households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity infrastructure will receive bill reductions of up to £2,500 over 10 years. (Representational image: iStock)

Residents near new electricity pylons to get bill reductions

THE GOVERNMENT announced on Monday that households living near new electricity pylons will receive discounts on their energy bills.

The move is part of efforts to expand electricity infrastructure, despite opposition to large-scale projects needed to connect renewable energy to the grid.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump had said the US has been economically and financially 'ripped off' by several countries, including India. (Photo: Getty Images)

India denies pledge to lower tariffs following Trump’s statement

INDIA has said it has not committed to reducing import duties on US goods, following US president Donald Trump’s claim that New Delhi had agreed to "cut their tariffs way down."

Trump, in the early weeks of his second term, has taken a tough stance on global trade, imposing tariffs on several countries, including India, and accusing trading partners of unfair practices.

Keep ReadingShow less
most polluted cities

India, home to six of the world’s 10 most polluted cities, saw a 7% reduction in air pollution between 2023 and 2024

iStock

Only 7 countries meet WHO air quality guidelines, UK falls short


Air pollution is a silent killer, claiming millions of lives annually and leaving nearly every corner of the globe gasping for clean air. According to the latest annual report by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, only seven countries worldwide met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for safe levels of PM2.5 pollution in 2024. These countries- Australia, New Zealand, Estonia, Iceland, and a handful of small island states- stand as rare exceptions in a world where dirty air has become the norm.

Keep ReadingShow less
London-ULEZ-iStock

Signs indicating Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) on a street in London. (Photo: iStock)

London ULEZ expansion cuts pollution, increases compliance

LONDON’s air quality has improved following the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across all 33 boroughs in August 2023.

The ULEZ requires vehicles that do not meet specific emission standards to pay a daily charge of £12.50. The scheme aims to tackle air pollution, climate change, and congestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
NHS England to Restructure: Workforce to Be Reduced by 50%

The changes aim to cut costs and eliminate duplication with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). (Representational image: Getty)

Getty Images

NHS England to cut workforce by half in major restructuring

NHS ENGLAND will reduce its workforce from 13,000 to about 6,500 as part of a restructuring led by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

The changes aim to cut costs and eliminate duplication with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less