Creating your own Exhibition Drill Uniform

Military-style exhibition drillers around the world are looking more and more into developing their own uniforms.

That is a good thing.

Creating your own uniform sounds great. After all, that is exactly what I did. But before you start ordering jackets, pants, braid, gloves, caps, and every shiny thing you can find, there are a few things to think through.

A uniform is not just clothing.

It communicates.

It tells the audience something before the rifle ever moves.

Do Not Just Dress Up

Think uniform, not “dress shirt and slacks.”

A dress shirt and slacks may be neat. They may be clean. They may even look professional. But they usually look like a dress shirt and slacks.

That is not the same as a uniform.

You are not just dressing up. You are dressing for the part.

“Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes” are not exhibition drill attire. They do not create the military flavor, discipline, structure, or visual identity that exhibition drill requires.

Your uniform should support the performance. It should help define who you are, what you are presenting, and how the audience should receive the performance.

Military Flavor Without Impersonation

Copying the general structure of a military, law enforcement, or firefighter dress uniform is understandable. Many law enforcement and firefighter dress uniforms are already based on military dress uniforms. The visual language overlaps: jackets, trousers, covers, buttons, braid, shoulder straps, gloves, polished shoes, and a strong vertical line.

But there is a line.

Wearing the actual uniform of a specific military service when you are not a member, veteran, or cadet of that service is going to create problems. At the very least, it will be frowned upon. It may also create confusion about who you are and what you represent.

That does not mean someone will never mistake you for “military” in a general sense. If you wear a military-style uniform and carry a rifle, someone may assume you are connected to the military.

That can happen.

The answer is not to avoid a uniform. The answer is to be clear, professional, and honest about what you are doing. Wear the uniform for performance, competition, and appropriate drill-related settings. Do not wear it around town. Do not blur the line between performance identity and official service identity.

You are creating a performance uniform.

Not impersonating a service member.

Start With the Basics

What makes a uniform?

At a minimum:

• Trousers
• Shirt
• Shoes
• Cover or hat

You can add a jacket or blouse, gloves, belt, shoulder cord, citation cord, or other design elements, but the basics have to work first.

The uniform is about line, color, proportion, and identity.

The audience should be able to look at you and immediately understand that you are not just wearing clothes. You are presenting a designed image.

That image can be traditional. It can be modern. It can be historical. It can be ceremonial. It can be simple. But it needs to be intentional.

Work-Type Uniforms Can Work

Not every uniform has to be a full dress uniform.

A work-type uniform can work very well, especially for a soloist or small team. For example, a solid set of blue tactical-style pants and shirt can create a clean, recognizable, nondescript uniform look. It may not be flashy, but it can provide the military-style foundation needed for the performance.

That kind of uniform may not be what you first imagined, but it can work if the performance concept supports it.

The key is not how expensive the uniform is.

The key is whether the uniform supports the performance.

Here are some ideas of work-type uniforms. If you go with a 511 set of blue “BDUs” (for instance, the pant and the shirt), this is something that is easily recognizable as a uniform and is nondescript. It may not be what you are thinking of, but it is along the lines of a military-style uniform and this is the style you are looking to pull off to create the military flavor (click here for an article on Military Flavor) look of the performance.

Look for official dress- or ceremonial-type uniforms here: Lighthouse Uniform Co., Marlow White, Kel-Lac, Military Uniform Supply.com, Elbeco.

Dress and Ceremonial Uniforms

If you want to go with a more formal look, then look at official dress and ceremonial uniform suppliers. Companies that supply military, law enforcement, firefighter, marching band, and ceremonial uniforms can give you ideas for structure, materials, jackets, trousers, covers, and trim.

This is where you can begin to see what makes a uniform look like a uniform.

Study the cut of the jacket. Study the way the trousers break over the shoes. Study where buttons, braid, stripes, and shoulder details are placed. Study how color is used.

You do not have to copy a service uniform to understand why it works.

That is the point.

Learn the design language.

Then create something that belongs to you.

Create a Persona

Here is an idea: create a persona.

This is easier for a soloist, tandem, or tetrad, but it can also work for a larger team.

A routine can have a specific identity: World War II-inspired, law enforcement, firefighter, gangster, cowboy, futuristic, ceremonial, tactical, or something completely original.

Uniform also equals costume.

Now, I know that word makes some people twitch.

But costume does not have to mean “storybook costume” or something cheap from a party store. In performance, costume means the clothing supports the character, identity, or visual world being presented.

That is exactly what an exhibition drill uniform can do.

The important thing is that it still has military flavor. Exhibition drill has roots in military drill. Even when the design is creative, the uniform should still support precision, discipline, strength, and control.

Military-Inspired, Not Military-Copied

A good military-inspired uniform does not have to be a direct copy of a government-issued uniform.

In fact, it is usually better when it is not.

Think about what military uniforms communicate:

Honor.
Duty.
Sacrifice.
Strength.
Precision.
Loyalty.
Discipline.
Tradition.

Now ask: how can your uniform suggest those ideas without simply copying a service uniform?

That is where design comes in.

Color, line, shape, contrast, trim, headgear, gloves, footwear, and posture all contribute to the image. A dark jacket with sharp lines communicates differently from a light shirt with open sleeves. A high-collar jacket communicates differently from a loose tactical shirt. White gloves communicate differently from black gloves. A service cap communicates differently from a beret or campaign-style hat.

Every choice says something.

Make sure it says what you want it to say.

A Word from Brent Becker

Years ago, I spoke with my friend Brent Becker, a uniform designer for marching bands and drum and bugle corps. Brent has done extensive research into uniforms, their history, and their function in performance.

His perspective is important because marching bands and drum corps understand something military drill teams sometimes overlook: the uniform is part of the visual program.

Brent made the point that uniforms should be based on the values and performance demands of the specific unit wearing them. That is worth paying attention to.

A uniform should not be chosen just because it “looks cool.” It should fit the performer, the routine, the unit, and the image being created.

He also brought up the idea of military costuming. That term can make people uncomfortable, but the concept is useful. If the uniform is not an official service uniform, then it is a designed performance garment that borrows from military visual language.

That does not make it fake.

It makes it intentional.

The question is not, “Can I make this look military?”

The better question is, “What military values or visual qualities am I trying to communicate, and how can I do that without pretending to be something I am not?”

That is the difference between thoughtful design and playing dress-up.

Read an outstanding article of his here: RE-Defined: A New Look At Uniforms).

Must read articles by Brent: Uniform Rumination.

The Air Force Honor Guard Example

Even within the military, ceremonial units sometimes wear uniforms that are different from the standard service uniform.

The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard uniform, for example, is not exactly the same as the regular Air Force dress uniform. The differences may be subtle, but they exist. Design, material, fit, and ceremonial purpose all matter.

That should tell us something.

A uniform can be connected to a tradition while still being designed for a specific performance purpose.

Exhibition drill is ripe for this kind of thinking.

Build the Uniform Around the Performance

Before choosing a uniform, ask yourself:

What is the identity of the performer or team?
What kind of routine is being performed?
Is the style traditional, aggressive, historical, ceremonial, modern, or theatrical?
Will the uniform help or fight the body movement?
Can the performer spin, toss, kneel, turn, and recover in it?
Does the uniform look intentional from the stands?
Does it still support military flavor?

That last question matters.

If the uniform is too casual, the performance loses weight. If the uniform is too theatrical, the military connection may disappear. If the uniform is a direct copy of a service uniform, you may create confusion or disrespect.

The balance is the point.

Practical Design Considerations

A great-looking uniform that does not allow movement is a bad exhibition drill uniform.

Think about:

• Shoulder mobility
• Sleeve length
• Jacket fit
• Trouser break
• Footwear
• Gloves
• Headgear security
• Heat and weather
• Rifle contact points
• Durability
• Cleaning and maintenance
• Whether buttons, cords, or trim will catch on the rifle

That last one is important. If your uniform interferes with the rifle, you have created a problem.

The uniform should enhance the performance, not become another obstacle.

The Opportunity

Exhibition drill has plenty of room for better uniform design.

Teams across the country could do far more than “dress shirt and slacks” or a borrowed service look. There is a real opportunity to create uniforms that are military-inspired, visually strong, movement-friendly, and unique to the performer or team.

That is where the activity can grow. Not by copying exactly what already exists. Not by showing up in church clothes. Not by pretending to be a service member.

But by creating a uniform that supports the performance and communicates the right message.

Dress for the part.

Otherwise, you might look like you were headed to church, took a wrong turn, and somehow ended up on the drill floor.

Written in 2014, updated in 2026