Appearance & Deportment
Deportment
General. In accordance with (QR) Cadets 5.20, the deportment and appearance of all cadets, in uniform or when wearing civilian attire, shall on all occasions reflect credit on the Cadet Program and the individual.
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Behaviour. When in uniform, cadets shall conduct themselves in a manner which projects a positive public appearance. Behaviour such as chewing gum, use of electronic devices while walking, placing hands in pockets and walking hand in hand, is prohibited.
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Cadet Presence. Cadets in uniform shall be well groomed, with footwear cleaned and shone, and uniform cleaned and properly pressed. In particular, buttons, fasteners and zippers shall be kept closed; pockets shall not be bulged; items such as personal mobile devices, portable electronics, glasses, glass cases, sunglasses, pens, pencils, key rings or paper shall not be visibly extended, protrude from pockets or be suspended from waist belts; headphones shall not be worn; ear buds may be worn when travelling on transport only. Cadets wearing civilian clothes during cadet activities shall dress and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively as members of the Cadet Program.
Personal Appearance
Hair
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Hair on the head shall be neatly groomed and conservatively styled.
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The length, bulk or style of hair shall not detract from a positive appearance or preclude the proper wear of cadet headdress. (Bulk is the distance that the mass of hair extends from the skin, when groomed, as opposed to the length of hair.)
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In particular, style and colour shall not present a bizarre, exaggerated, or unusual appearance.
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Unusual colours, such as green, bright red, orange, purple, etc. are not permitted.
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Hair must be secured or styled back to reveal the face, and any accessories used to secure or control hair styles shall be as unobtrusive as possible.
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Hair ornaments shall not be worn, except female’s conservative hair clip.
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Cadets may use hair-gel or hairspray as a personal choice, but must not be mandated to do so.
Male Hair Standards
Hair: Hair shall be taper-trimmed at the back, sides, and above the ears to blend with the hair-style; be no more than 15 cm (6 in.) in length and sufficiently short that, when the hair is groomed and headdress is removed, no hair shall touch the ears or fall below the top of the eyebrows; be no more than 4 cm (1-1/2 in.) in bulk at the top of the head, gradually decreasing to blend with the taper-trimmed sides and back; and be kept free from the neck to a distance of 2.5 cm (1 in.) above the shirt collar. Taper trimmed square back styles and shaving of all the hair on the head are permitted.
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Sideburns: Sideburns shall not extend below a line horizontally bisecting the ear, and shall be squared off horizontally at the bottom edge and taper-trimmed to conform to the overall hair style.
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Beards: Beards shall be worn with a moustache, kept neatly trimmed, especially on the lower neck and cheekbones; not exceed 2 cm in bulk. Cadets shall, on their own accord or upon direction from their CO shave off unsuccessful attempts to grow a beard unless beard is grown due to an accommodation.
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Moustaches: When moustaches are worn alone, the unshaven portion of the face shall not extend outwards beyond the corners of the mouth. Moustaches shall be kept neatly trimmed; not be greater than 2 cm in bulk (not extend below the corners of the mouth).
Female Hair Standards
Hair: Hair shall not extend below the lower edge of the shirt collar. Exaggerated styles, including those with excessive fullness or extreme height, are not authorized.
Pony Tails: If worn, shall be styled conservatively and tied tightly by a knot or a small unadorned fastener. A pony tail shall be worn in the centre of the back.
Braids: If worn, shall be styled conservatively and tied tightly: secured at the end by a knot or a small unadorned fastener. A second small unadorned fastener may be used to secure the top of the braid.
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A single braid shall be worn in the centre of the back.
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Double braids shall be worn behind the shoulders. Hair shall be a maximum length when gathered behind the head and braided which does not extend below the top of the armpit.
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Multiple braids (cornrows), shall be directed toward the back of the head, pulled tight to the head and secured at the end by a knot or a small-unadorned fastener. A second small unadorned fastener may be used to secure the top of the braid. Multiple braids extending below the lower edge of the collar are to be gathered in a bun. With the permission of a CO, a reasonable period may be authorized in order to transition from short to long hairstyles, during which time hair may extend below the lower edge of the shirt collar; all the while maintaining a positive military appearance and subject to the cadet’s safety.
Jewellery
Cadets may wear a wrist watch, a Medical Alert identifier and a maximum of two rings which are not of a costume jewelry nature.
Piercings: Cadets in uniform may wear a single pair of plain gold, silver stud, white diamond, or pearl earrings in pierced ears. The single stud earring, worn in the centre of each earlobe, shall be spherical in shape and shall not exceed 0.6 cm in diameter. In addition to authorized earrings in pierced ears, conservative, non-visible, clear body piercing adornments are permitted to be worn by cadets in uniform or during cadet activities in civilian clothing.
Body Adornment
Make-up: Cadets are authorized to wear a minimal amount of make-up. During cadet activities, make-up shall be applied conservatively. The use of false eyelashes, heavy eyeliner, brightly coloured eye shadow, coloured nail polish, bright or vivid lipstick and excessive facial make-up is not authorized.
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Body Tattoos: Cadets shall not display visible tattoos that could be deemed to be offensive or otherwise reflect discredit on the Cadet Program.
Glasses
Cadets, who normally wear eyeglasses, may wear either conventionally framed prescription sunglasses or conservatively styled clip-on sunglasses when conditions and circumstances dictate.
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Other cadets may wear conservatively styled sunglasses, which do not detract from the overall appearance of the uniform when conditions and circumstances dictate.
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Sunglasses shall not be worn on parade unless authorized by the CO in special circumstances.
Sunglasses with mirrored lenses are not authorized for wear.