The United States Army has taken a decisive step away from the muddled, anything-goes approach that defined the Biden years, releasing a new set of grooming and appearance standards aimed at restoring discipline, uniformity, and clarity across the force.
The changes, announced today, undo many of the headline-grabbing policies of 2021 — policies that had frustrated field commanders and sparked endless debates about enforcement.
The headline reforms are straightforward. Nail polish and lipstick are out for everyone — women and men alike. Ponytails, once permitted in all uniforms, are now restricted to combat and physical training gear, and banned in the Army Green dress uniform. Hair highlights, once allowed, are prohibited, and women’s hair length has been tightened from “mid-shoulder blade” to no more than six inches below the collar. The trend is clear: out with extravagance, back to cohesion.
Have you ever checked the number of medals on North Korean Generals?
Baaki aap log khud samajhdar ho😉😅 pic.twitter.com/PWKRV1c2DK
— SirKazam {blu tik} (@SirKazamJeevi) July 5, 2025
The changes are not limited to appearance. The so-called “fat boy” program is being tightened up as well. Soldiers flagged for fitness or body composition issues will face stricter enforcement and fewer avenues to linger in the system without resolution. It’s a return to accountability — and a recognition that standards, if they are to mean anything, must be applied.
There are still gaps. The policy doesn’t provide new guidance on beards, and the tattoo rules appear unchanged. The biggest aesthetic problem remains the over-decoration of senior leaders, whose dress uniforms often look more like those of North Korean generals than professional American officers.
With medals, badges, and tabs multiplying across the chest, the sense of dignity and restraint has given way to something bordering on parody. A logical upper bound on ribbons and accoutrements is sorely needed.
Who wore it better? pic.twitter.com/qhFUWfgn9w
— streiff (@streiffredstate) September 15, 2025
But one long-running sore spot is finally being addressed. The regulation explicitly states: “The black beret will not be worn with any variation of the AGSU.” In practice, that means the black beret — once pushed by General Eric Shinseki as a universal headgear and quickly despised by the rank and file — is effectively dead. It’s prohibited with the combat uniform as well, except for very rare commander-designated occasions. A failed experiment, at last, is over.
