I do wish you dim civvies would learn that an 'epaulette' is the loop of cloth on uniform shirts or flying overalls upon which rank slides - the things (often with various gold bars) which seem to cause you so much angst - are worn.
Either one wears a uniform or one does not. Removal of uniform rank slides in order to avoid causing alleged offence to a few Golf Alfa Good Morning poseurs in a flying club bar is plain daft - far better to change into off-duty clothes altogether, surely?