# Light blue Nomex **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692 "2007-07-21T18:47:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/1 "2007-07-21T18:47:37Z")
After a decade my royal blue Nomex flight jacket is getting a bit faded. I thought it might be time for a new jacket. Why not light blue instead of the more militaristic royal blue? I looked at Flightsuits Ltd, who made my current jacket, but they don’t offer light blue. I can’t seem to find anyone who offers light blue. Is light blue Nomex available anywhere? If I can get the material I’m sure Flightsuits would make me a jacket. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/2 "2007-07-23T18:19:43Z")
Bump. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/3 "2007-07-23T19:40:15Z")
I’ve been dealing with lab coat manufacturers lately. Nomex was one of the options we discussed, and the only color they had available was royal blue. I’ve worn Nomex jumpsuits at other facilities many years ago. They were royal blue. I believe firefighters have headgear they wear under their helmets that are beige, but they seemed to be more of a knit, whereas the labcoats and jumpsuits were woven. Since Nomex is such a specialty material, I’m afraid your color choices may be quite limited. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/4 "2007-07-23T20:04:32Z")
[QUOTE=Solfy] Since Nomex is such a specialty material, I’m afraid your color choices may be quite limited. [/QUOTE] Here are my choices: [http://www.flightsuits.com/uniform\_nmx.html](http://www.flightsuits.com/uniform_nmx.html) I’m _sure_ I’ve seen light blue, though not for several years. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/5 "2007-07-23T20:23:59Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Here are my choices: [http://www.flightsuits.com/uniform\_nmx.html](http://www.flightsuits.com/uniform_nmx.html) I’m _sure_ I’ve seen light blue, though not for several years. [/QUOTE] Are you positive it was Nomex? I am, at the moment, clad in light blue flame retardant cotton. It’s the same weight as Nomex, and is treated to get the FR properties. (also, I hate it) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/6 "2007-07-23T20:47:08Z")
[QUOTE=Solfy] Are you positive it was Nomex? I am, at the moment, clad in light blue flame retardant cotton. It’s the same weight as Nomex, and is treated to get the FR properties. (also, I hate it) [/QUOTE] I’m 95% sure Flightsuits Ltd offered it in Nomex several years ago. I’m not going to crash, and if I do I’m not going to burn. But I do like the _idea_ of a Nomex jacket. The royal blue looks good and I’ll most likely get another one. But the light blue would be different. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/7 "2007-07-23T21:59:19Z")
Just for giggles I went and checked the Simpson Racing Products website. They only list royal blue. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/8 "2007-07-24T00:28:02Z")
Can’t speak for flight specs, but garments worn by firefighters are governed by NFPA standards which are revised on a regular basis to address new materials as well as what we’ve learned from field use of previously approved products. Over time we’ve learned things about different colors, different flame retardant textiles/weaves, UV degradation, and the changes induced by jobsite use, as well as laundering. It could be that it was learned the color you had caused problems with garment reliability. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/9 "2007-07-24T10:27:11Z")
Sisley Clothing in Australia do nomex stuff. There range of colours is [here](http://www.sisleyclothing.com.au/home.html) (Nomex Products/Fabrics.) The only blues they do are navy and royal, how about “medical green?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/10 "2007-07-24T12:26:13Z")
I’m wearing fluorescent orange 🆒 nomex coveralls right now. Would that be a suitable colour? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/11 "2007-07-24T14:05:05Z")
Who knew it would be so difficult getting light blue? [QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] I’m wearing fluorescent orange 🆒 nomex coveralls right now. Would that be a suitable colour? :dubious: [/QUOTE] Sure. If I wanted to look like a test pilot! 😛 I have an ‘issue’ CWU-45/P and my Flightsuits Ltd royal blue CWU-36/P-style. I’ve got a couple of MA-1s around (sage green, but one my mom gave that belonged to her late husband is Navy blue), G-1s, A-2s… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/12 "2007-07-24T14:27:03Z")
Can’t you get a neutral colour and dye it yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-blue-nomex/412692/13 "2007-07-24T18:15:05Z")
I haven’t seen any white Nomex either.