A Short History of the Uniform - Part 3 - The Development of the Early Uniform in the 17th and Early 18th Centuries

The generally adopted and regulated uniform also allowed sufficient differentiation of the individual units (regiments or battalions.

The (infantry) regiments differed after the general introduction of the uniform - e.g., in France - by differently colored sleeve facings and stockings, different button color (tin or brass) and vertical or horizontal pocket flaps with a varying number of buttons.

The introduction of uniforming, however, initially applied only to the rank-and-file.

The clothing of the mostly noble officers was initially not standardized, i.e., they were given free rein. Often they wore uniforms in the color of the facings of the rank-and-file uniforms. Red coats (and red heels on footwear) were popular.

Fashionably, in the second half of the 17th century the coat had very short sleeves with large cuffs that revealed the lavish shirt sleeves; a lace-trimmed neckcloth was worn, and the coat (and the hat) was decorated with ribbon trimming.

The coat had one or two rows of buttons and was worn open so that the regularly differently colored waistcoat with the popular braid trimming could be seen.

The hat was adorned with colored feathers. The actual insignia of officers were the ring collar as a vestige of knightly armor, the sash, the portepee on the sword, and the esponton (= pole weapon).

France became a center of fashion not only in civilian but also in military matters. From the peasant round hat, by turning up the sides that hindered shooting, the three-cornered hat and finally the (high) bicorne were formed.

This also underwent a fashion change and thus sometimes only by looking at the headgear is it possible to date contemporary images.

The crown of the hat was mostly round or had a stump shape. The hat was usually decorated with a smooth brim braid (and possibly feathers).

The cavalry additionally protected themselves with a metal casque worn in or on the hat.

In addition to the hat there was the camp cap (Lagermütze), which had developed from the civilian pointed cap (Zipfelmütze).

Because the hat was cumbersome when shouldering the musket or carbine, grenadiers and dragoons (= mounted infantry) also wore the camp cap on duty. From it the grenadier cap developed over time in two variants, on the one hand as a bearskin and on the other as a conical metal cap. It is noteworthy that the first variant was especially preferred by Catholic states and the second especially by Protestant states, so that, as with the basic colors of the uniforms, a certain clothing pattern can also be observed here.

In England the latter variant—with a short pouch and a firmer shape—can already be found around 1700.

Waistcoats, initially still made of leather, were over time made of cloth and, with their coloring (red, yellow or white), served to distinguish the various regiments. Breeches reached only below the knee; long trousers did not become common until the French Revolutionary Wars. With the knee-breeches were worn long stockings bound above the knees and later white or black (side-buttoned) gaiters. The shoes corresponded to today's low shoe, were laced or buckled, but egal, i.e., the same for each foot. Therefore they were worn alternately. The shoe tip was flattened and not rounded. Rounded "shoe tips" were worn only by rogues and provosts (= military officials responsible for punishment).

The cavalry wore for a long time a short leather coat (koller), later a full coat. Heavy cavalry commonly also wore a cuirass as a breast- and backplate or only as a breastplate. For example, the Swedish national cavalry was equipped with such a bulletproof breastplate. In the field these were often blackened. The breastplate was held by cross straps and a waist belt. In addition the rider wore tight leather riding breeches and heavy boots reaching over the knee. The leather equipment as a whole could be natural-colored, but was mostly whitened or blackened. Later the riders received a shorter firearm, the carbine.

The dragoons, which developed as mounted infantry, for practical reasons doffed the hat and wore instead the pointed cap, which became characteristic for the French dragoons. Muskets were carried on the back and supported by a bandolier or gun strap. Hats would have been only a hindrance in action. Moreover the French dragoons wore red coats; only the royal formations were allowed to show blue as the base color. In Denmark the dragoons wore red, blue, green and gray coats; in Spain the dragoons' uniform was yellow with red facings.

In England the aforementioned pointed cap was given a fur brim and thus appeared more attractive. The footwear of the dragoons was regularly lighter than that of the heavy horse, who were equipped with stiff boots with shafts.

For the artillery, for practical reasons (soiling by black powder), as dark a wool as possible was used (in Austria brown).