This week on r/army and r/nationalguard, soldiers are asking the same questions we hear at the shop counter every day: where is the best place to buy OCP uniforms online, and is it worth paying to get a uniform sewn when the Army might change the rules again? As the shop soldiers near Fort Bragg have trusted since 1967 — the “Home of Inspection” — here is our straight, regulation-based answer.
Where Should I Buy My OCP Uniforms?
Military Clothing Sales is the default stop, but soldiers stationed in remote locations or getting ready for an upcoming school often buy online instead. Forum threads this week show soldiers comparing AAFES with specialty uniform vendors, and the most-upvoted advice lands on the same point: wherever the uniform comes from, what gets noticed at inspection is the sewing — straight, regulation-placed name tapes, U.S. Army tape, rank, and patches.
A quick regulation note from AR 670-1: soldiers are permitted to sew the name tape, U.S. Army tape, rank, and authorized badges on the OCP uniform at their own expense. And the rule that trips people up most often: if you sew on one of the name tape, U.S. Army tape, or rank insignia, you sew on all three.
One timing note: soldiers online are reporting a scheduled Defense Logistics Agency uniform price increase taking effect October 1, 2026. If you need a new set anyway, buying sooner rather than later may save you a few dollars.
In our experience, where the sewing happens matters more than where the uniform was bought. At Kim’s #1 Sewing: OCP jacket sewing is $2.95 per sew, and name tape and insignia stitching is $3.95 each. Drop off today, pick it up tomorrow — same-day service is available. Or mail your uniforms from anywhere to 6005B Yadkin Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28303, and we mail them back sewn to regulation.
Should I Wait to Get My Uniform Sewn Until the AR 670-1 Update Is Final?
A National Guard soldier with their first drill coming up asked exactly this. Our answer: do not wait — because the proposals being discussed do not touch how your name tapes and patches get sewn on today.
Here is what the Army is actually reviewing, confirmed by Army spokesman Maj. Travis Shaw as “pre-decisional” with no approved timeline: moving rank insignia from the chest to the collar on combat uniforms, wider authorization of baseball caps and boonie hats, limited wear of the black beret, and removing full-color unit patches from combat uniforms. These are about rank placement and headgear — not about how name tapes, U.S. Army tape, and rank are sewn. Nothing has been approved, and soldiers should keep following current regulations until an official directive or revised AR 670-1 is published.
Waiting means showing up to drill with unsewn uniforms — and unsewn uniforms do not pass inspection. And even if the proposed changes are approved someday, re-sewing name tapes costs a few dollars per item at our shop, a small fraction of what the uniform itself costs.
Visit Us in Fayetteville
Soldiers do not look sharp by accident — they look sharp by wearing regulation. Drop off your uniforms at our shop right next to Fort Bragg at 6005B Yadkin Rd, Fayetteville, NC; mail them in from anywhere in the world; or call us at 910-868-8077. We are open Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM, and we have been getting soldiers inspection-ready since 1967.
Military Clothing Sales and AAFES are the default sources, and soldiers also buy from specialty uniform vendors online. What matters more than the store is the sewing: AR 670-1 allows soldiers to sew name tapes, U.S. Army tape, rank, and authorized badges on the OCP at their own expense, and if you sew one of the three, you sew all three. At Kim’s #1 Sewing in Fayetteville, NC, OCP jacket sewing is $2.95 per sew and name tape and insignia stitching is $3.95 each, with same-day service and mail-in orders available.
No. The proposed AR 670-1 changes — collar rank on combat uniforms, wider baseball cap and boonie hat authorization, limited black beret wear, and removing full-color unit patches — are pre-decisional with no approved timeline and do not affect how name tapes, U.S. Army tape, and rank are sewn. Soldiers should keep following current regulations, and re-sewing costs only a few dollars per item even if changes are approved someday.