Seaforth Lt Colonel Battledress tunic with WW II ribbons. The standard uniform for all ranks of the Canadian Army during the Second World War was the Serge Battledress. Adopted by the British in 1937 and by Canada in 1939, it was worn on parades, in the field as combat dress and worn off duty as a walking out dress. Canadian and British made battledresses were generally similar in design however there were major differences in materials and construction. British battledress was made of brownish wool serge and was closely cut in order to save on material. Canadian battledress was greener than the British and was cut fuller in the waist and shoulders. The blouse had two breast pockets and 5 concealed buttons down the front and a seam down the center of the back. Initially, the collar was closed with two small hooks and eyes, but in a version adopted in 1942, the collar is closed with a tab and button. All buttons were pressed steel, except for plastic (rubber) epaulette buttons on early blouses. Initially, all ranks were to wear the collar of the blouse closed, however it was not long before officers were permitted to wear the blouse collar open, showing a shirt collar and necktie. Blouse collars were often lined with battledress material or khaki cotton. Until late 1944, Other Ranks were not permitted to wear the collar open, even off duty. Although increasingly replaced by open lapel postwar patterns, wartime pattern battledress was still issued until the early 1950s. It was declared obsolete in 1956.