As BEagle says, composite braid has been standard for a long time. However on each promotion I have always asked the tailor to use individual stripes, which they are perfectly happy to do (more sewing = more money). Quite how that sits with regulation, I have not the first idea; however none of the tailors I have used have ever been surprised or unsure about the request, and I have never been pulled up on any of numerous pre-parade inspections. I think the stripes look more 'traditional' and are a better representation of the insignia as originally intended, with the actual material colour showing between them and not some off-blue-grey-green thing as on the composite braid.