" If you are wearing uniform in public, you represent the standards of the service, not your own grubby low-life personal standards, whatever they may be
It's possibly just as well you, and your BP, never encountered those, in a different era I admit, wearing the M.U dress code....several options were available, non of which quite conformed with the expectations of those whose uniform was always immaculate.
You would, like those who were blissfully unaware, that when working on primary structure and bits of aircraft that rarely saw daylight once constructed, the perceived "grubby low life personal standards" of appearance had no relevance to the standards being imposed by the same low life in the course of their work.....been freely ignored.
You missed a golden opportunity however to " introduce yourself" about 8 months ago, on the M5 heading North just after Strensham services....a group of Para's broken down on the hard shoulder, several of whom were smoking.
Now that meeting would have been entertaining to watch, and listen to.