These are the official Royal Navy Officer ranks ordered by rank. These ranks are part of the NATO/United Kingdom ranks, including modern and past. Past insignia is in italic. Rank Royal Navy insignia Royal Marines insignia Officers Uniforms for naval officers were not authorised until 1748. At first the cut and style of the uniform differed considerably between ranks, and specific rank insignia were only sporadically used. By the 1790s, the Royal Navy's first established uniform regulations had been published. Ranks could be indicated by embroidery on the cuffs, by arrangement of buttons or, after 1795, on epaulettes. However, there was no consistent system and insignia might differ between uniforms, and were altered several times. Sometimes there was no specific indication of rank at all. Midshipmen received a white patch on the collar in 1758, the oldest badge still in use today. The modern system of gold rings on the cuffs originated on 11 April 1856. For the first time these were consistently applied to all blue uniforms. On 16 April 1861, mates were commissioned as sub-lieutenants and lieutenants were divided into those of over eight years seniority and those under. As a result, on 5 September 1861 the lower ranks' rings were changed: and on 25 March 1863 to: On 30 October 1877, a lieutenant of eight years'/ seniority got an additional half-ring of in, increased to in in 1891, and in 1914 became the new rank of lieutenant commander. In 1919, the admiral's narrow stripe was reduced to in, but as King George V had not approved the change, the Royal Family continued to wear the wider ring. In 1931, all the in rings were all increased to in. The curl was introduced in 1856, but initially only the military (or executive) and navigating (masters) branches wore it. Other (civil) branches had plain rings, from 1863 with coloured distinction cloth between or below them. Until 1891 officers of the 'civil' branches had single-breasted coats with different arrangements of buttons. Engineer officers received the curl in 1915 and all other officers in 1918. At the same time they also received other things such as oak leaves on the peaked cap that had formerly been the prerogative of the military branch. In 1955 it was announced that the distinction cloth worn between the stripes of officers of the non-executive branches of the Royal Navy was to be abolished, except for