--- title: "The ultra-rare Marine Corps dress uniform accessory you may never see" description: "For an airman who could be mistaken for a Coastie while wearing my dress blues, I have to say: the Marine Corps dress uniform has no equal." date: "2022-11-10" modified: "2022-12-01" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/the-ultra-rare-marine-corps-uniform-accessory-you-may-never-see/" categories: - "History" - "Marine Corps" --- # The ultra-rare Marine Corps dress uniform accessory you may never see ![]() From the point of view of an airman who (in the right town) could be mistaken for a Coastie while wearing my dress blues, I have to say: the [Marine Corps dress]() uniform has no equal. I totally get why people join the Marines just for the dress blues. After a few years in the military and a few years in military-oriented media, I thought I had seen every uniform there was. That's when I saw this guy: ![Marine Corps dress uniform]() *Why is this Marine dressed like a magician?* This was surprising to me because I continually make fun of the movie *Basic* for depicting Samuel L. Jackson's Army character wearing a cape. But I wasn't the only one who was perplexed by this. In 2016, [a Quora user asked]() Marines what that cape was. For those not in the know, the Marines in the top photo are "pretty much wearing the same mess dress uniform" and the cape is a somewhat antiquated, but still on the books, accessory: the Boat Cloak. Boat Cloaks are a made-to-order item that can cost upward of $1,000 at the NEX/MCX. One former Master Gunnery Sergeant recalled seeing one worn by a Chief Warrant Officer 5 at a Marine Corps ball. The Master Guns described the look as "magnificent." ![army capes instead of Marine Corps dress uniform]() *Army capes: not magnificent. Also, not a thing.* It's difficult to find exact regulations for the Boat Cloak, but it looks like there are different versions for the Senior NCOs and Officers. As of 1937, it was still a *required* item for officers. If you wear a Boat Cloak to any mess dress-level function, please send photos to We Are The Mighty. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()