U.S. Marine Corps Alters Dress Code for Women, No Longer Requiring Them to Wear Pantyhose

The US Marine Corps has changed its dress code for women.

Earlier this week, the branch of the armed forces announced that women in the Marines will no longer be required to wear pantyhose with their uniforms.

“Effective immediately, wearing socks with skirts is optional,” the Marine Corps wrote in a statement.

But if pantyhose are worn with a skirt, they must be “matched to skin color,” the Marines said. Meanwhile, dark socks can still be worn under trousers, the organization added.

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In a statement to PEOPLE, Maj. Joshua Larson, a spokesman for the Office of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, said the sock requirement was changed because it did not “pass the ‘common sense’ test.”

“As part of the Marine Corps Talent Management Initiative that began in 2021, then-Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric M. Smith, who served as the Marine Corps talent management officer, provided guidance to evaluate current Marine Corps policies to determine whether policies exist or are outdated or fail the ‘common sense’ test,” Larson said. “In the spirit of common sense, our Uniform Committee recommended changing the policy that required women to wear stockings with their skirts. Stockings are now optional.”

“For the Marines, people are a priority above all else,” he continued. “Our leaders know, on an instinctive level, that we have a sacred and personal responsibility to lead, mentor and care for our Marines.

Larson added, “Talent Management drives us to make better institutional decisions and policies for our Marines and their families.”

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Although women had previously fought in two world wars, they were not officially considered a permanent part of the regular Marine Corps until June 1948, when Congress passed the Women’s Armed Forces Integration Act, according to the Marine Corps University.

Women currently make up 5% of the more than 175,000 active-duty members of the Marine Corps, the organization adds, with 93% of all occupational fields and 62% of all positions now open to women.

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Source: HIS Education