UNIFORMS. The word "uniform" (Lat. unus, one, and forma, form), meaning adjectively homogeneous, is specifically used as a substantive for the distinctive naval, military and air service dress, which serves, in its various styles, to give homo geneity to the several services, regiments and ranks. Although in ancient history we occasionally meet with uniformed soldiers, such as those of Rome and the white and crimson Spanish regiments of Hannibal, it was not until the establishment of standing armies that uniforms were introduced in modern times. The absence of uniforms accounts very largely for the significance attached to the colours and standards, which alone formed rallying points. The beginnings -of uniforms are therefore to be found in truly national armies, in the Indelta of Gustavus, and the English armies of the Great Rebellion. In the earlier years of the latter, though the richer colonels uniformed their men (as, for instance, the marquess of Newcastle's "Whitecoats" and the king's own "Blue coats"), the rustics and the citizens turned out for war in their ordinary rough clothes, donning armour and sword-belt. But in 1645 the parliament raised an army "all its own" for permanent service, and the colonels became officials rather than proprietors. The "new model" was clothed in the civilian costume of the date —ample coat, waistcoat, breeches, stockings and shoes (in the case of cavalry, boots)—but with the distinctive colour throughout the army of red and with regimental facings of various colours. The regiments were known as the Blue, Orange, Yellow, etc. Regiments—according to the colour of these facings. The breeches were grey. Soon afterwards the helmet disappeared, and its place was taken by a grey broad-brimmed hat. From the coat was evolved the tunic of to-day, and the hat became the cocked hat of a later generation, which has never altogether disappeared, and has reverted to its original form in the familiar "slouch-hat." For service in Ireland the red coat was exchanged for one of russet colour. The cavalry, however, wore buff leather coats and
armour long after the infantry had abandoned them; the Austrians on account of their Turkish wars, retained them longer than any. Thus the principle ever since followed—uniform coat and variegated facings—was established. In France, as in England and Austria, the cavalry, as yet rather led by the wealthy classes than officered by the professional, was not uniformed upon an army system until after the infantry. But in 1688 six-sevenths of the French cavalry was uniformed in light grey with red fac ings; and about half the dragoon regiments had red uniforms and blue facings. Louvois, in creating a standing army, had introduced an infantry uniform as a necessary consequence. The native French regiments had light grey coats, the Swiss red, the German black and the Italian blue, with various facings.
The hat and the long coat and breeches remained the uniform of line infantry almost everywhere up to the advent of the shako and the coatee about 1790-1820. The gradual evolution of these two garments, from the comfortable civilian clothes of 1690 to the stiff, precise military garments of 179o, can be traced in a few words. The brim of the felt hat was first looped up on one side for convenience, then, for appearance' sake, on the other, and so became the three-cornered cocked hat, fringed with feathers, lace or braid, of Marlborough's wars. Then came the fashion of loop ing up before and behind, which produced the hat called the "Khevenhiiller," or the broadside-on cocked hat. Lastly, came the purely decorative, lace-looped "fore-and-aft" pattern. Though the long skirts that rendered great coats unnecessary were looped back, and the ample cuffs of Marlborough's time were becoming narrower until they were at last sewn down to the sleeve, yet the military costume was in all essentials the civil costume of the time —long coat, hat, sleeved waistcoat, breeches and gaiters.