The nail policy for US Air Force members went into effect on February 1. Female service members have since shared their candid thoughts about the new rule on social media, including one woman on TikTok named Elora Jean, who’s in the US Air Force. “The entire section about nail polish colors that women could or couldn’t wear in uniform is gone,” she said in a recent clip, before showcasing all the nail colors that were initially authorized in 2024 but are not anymore.
“People are not happy,” she said about the online reaction to the memo. “They think that the priorities are a little bit skewed right now. And that nail polish is really not that serious. And that there’s a lot of other things that should be focused on when it comes to military readiness, and recruiting and general well-being for people in the military.”. In the comments of the clip, which has more than 5.9 million views, multiple people, including veterans, agreed with Jean’s take and questioned why military women can’t wear colored nail polish.
“Where do the priorities of nail polish correspond with large-scale combat operations?” one person wrote. “We just got colors and now it’s more strict than when I first joined,” another wrote. “I feel like it’s not like a major deal but also why do they even care what color you paint your damn nails,” a third responded. Others joked about the meaning of an American manicure, which is a nude or pink-based polish with white tips.
“[What do you mean] American manicures aren't miniature American flags?” One wrote. Other servicewomen chimed in on the unofficial Air Force Facebook group. “It’s true, wine red nail polish makes me type slower. I’ve noticed,” one quipped, while a second added: “My nail lady who bought all new APPROVED polish is about to be pissed.”. The memo to Air Force personnel also shared other guidelines, stating that while on duty, “male Airmen must be clean-shaven.” Duty Identified Patches, which indicate a service member’s job, are also “no longer authorized for wear.” Another new uniform requirement added the definition for “gig line.”.
