The Redcoat: Elegant or Extravagant?
One of the most commonly known and recognized historical garments is the uniform of the British regular. The regulars were the basic infantry of the British army, trained to take and hold ground during a battle. Armed mainly with Brown Bess muskets (so named because when the gun was first made, an acid used by the manufacturer stained the barrels brown) the redcoats could shoot objects at a maximum range of 330 feet, although they were only accurate at 100 feet.
The uniform of the regular underwent very little change during the 1700’s. Of course, the main feature was the red coat, thus inspiring its rather vapid name. The facings (strips of cloth sewed to the front in line with the buttons) and the cuffs of the coats came in different colors which varied from unit to unit; some were white, while others were yellow, blue, green, or black.
Under the coat was the vest, or waistcoat. The purpose of the waistcoat was to cover the linen shirt worn underneath; in those days, the shirt was considered underwear. The breeches were usually white or buff colored, to match the waistcoat. They only reached below the knee; the rest of the soldier’s legs were covered by stockings. Over the stockings, the soldier wore his linen gaiters, which were typically black or white. The gaiters covered the tops of the black leather shoes.
Clothing was not the only concern of a soldier’s required appearance. Redcoats sometimes powdered their hair, growing it long and doing it up in a queue in the back with black ribbon. Officers often wore wigs, as pictured above. However, there were some regiments, especially towards the end of the 18th century, which chose to wear their hair in its natural state.
To protect their fancy hairstyles, hats were worn in two styles; some soldiers might wear bearskin hats, while others donned tricornered hats.
In this attire, the redcoat was a familiar symbol of British power seen all over the world.
What are your thoughts on the practicality of such a pretentious uniform?
Source: Cooper, Paul. (2001). “Going to war in the 18th Century.” London, Franklin Watts
