Upon commissioning, new officers were expected to purchase Service Dress with all of the attendant accessories. The Service Dress uniform consisted of a jacket and trousers made of drab wool barathea or fine serge and was very similar in style to that worn at the end of the First World War. It was worn with a shirt, necktie and brown shoes. The Sam Browne belt was worn with Service Dress by both officers and Warrant Officers Class 1.

A typical Officers Service Dress jacket. The primary features are the pleated breast pockets, external wast pockets with buttons on the flaps and pointed cuffs. Worn with a drab shirt and tie and a Sam Browne belt.

Detail of the above jacket showing the gilt collar badges, and Captain's rank insignia.

In 1942 an "Austerity Pattern" Service Dress was introduced in order to save cloth. The pleats on the breast pockets were omitted, the waist pockets were internal, and the jacket sleeves had plain cuffs. Newly commissioned Officers acquired this pattern but both old and new patterns were worn concurrently. The Austerity Pattern was discontinued at the end of the war.

The image above is that of an "Austerity Pattern" Service Dress jacket worn by Major L.M.(Len) Fourney, Canadian Provost Corps, who was commissioned in 1942. Collar badges are the cast bronze left and right facing officer pattern. Note that embroidered shoulder titles are not worn on this uniform, either brass, bronze, or gilt Canada titles are worn. The brass buttons are standard Canadian General Service pattern.

A leather Sam Browne belt with a single cross strap over the right shoulder was worn with this uniform. Unless the officer was doing duty as Orderly or Picquet Officer, the belt was removed when the Officer was in the Mess. The collar and tie was often worn with a plain gilt pin securing the tie in place.

Details of the collar insignia, shirt and tie.

Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) B.W.E. Lee, Commanding Officer of No. 2 Provost Company. Note the left and right facing collar badges are worn outwards.

Warrant Officers Class 1 were initially authorized to wear the pre war pattern of service dress which had a stand and fall collar. In this, it was similar in pattern to the Service Dress worn by Other Ranks, but was made of officer quality cloth. Around 1942, this pattern of Service Dress was withdrawn in favour of a pattern with open collar identical to that worn by Officers. Warrant Officers in posession of the old pattern were permitted to wear it until it wore out.
As with the Officer's Service Dress, there were several variations, including what was an equivalent to the Austerity Pattern.

A 1941 dated Warrant Officer Pattern Service Dress jacket. This long serving Warrant Officer had First World War service as evidenced by the red wound stripe on the left cuff. Medal ribbons are missing on this example, but would have been worn above the left breast pocket. The cloth belt is stitched in place at the back of the jacket.

Collar detail showing the two brass hooks and eyes.

Detail of the insignia worn on the left cuff. The GS badge indicated a volunteer for overseas service, and would have been removed from the jacket after leaving Canada. A single red embroidered wound stripe denoting a wound suffered in the First World War is worn below the Warrant Officer Class 1 rank badge.

On the right cuff, Service Chevrons are worn under the rank badge. The silver chevron indicates service in 1939, red chevrons are worn for each subsequent year.

A fine image of the Warrant Officer Pattern Service Dress in wear by the Regimental Sergeant Major of No1 Provost Company (RCMP). The jacket has gilt RCMP collar badges and buttons, worsted CANADA titles are worn on the sleeves two inches below the shoulder seams. Worsted Warrant Officer Class 1 rank insignia is worn on both cuffs. The medal ribbon is that of the MBE.