UNIFORMS, MILITARY AND NAVAL. A dis tinguishing dress or costume (q.v.) appropriate to a certain group or organization, as an army, society, etc. It is necessary to go back to the Crusades to obtain authentic record as to the employment of costume devices. Armor (q.v.), partly because of itS expense, but more especially because it was a badge of caste, was the property and privilege of the nobleman. Just as the im possibility of distinguishing one armored knight from another had compelled the adoption of shields, and what are now known as heraldic devices, mottoes, etc. (see HERALDRY). so the difficulty of distinguishing the men-at-arms and followers of a king or nobleman, especially in battle, brought about the introduction of a dis tinct badge or pattern of dress. In the Second Crusade (twelfth century), for example, the French wore red crosses on the sleeve and the English white. Feathers were first worn in the fifteenth century by the French; cloaks and tabard of arms by military men over their armor. Later, Henry VIII., with characteristic love of pomp, at the siege of Therouanne, had as a guard six hundred archers wearing white gaberdines and caps, and in 1526 he arrayed the yeomen of his household in red, the first appearance, it is said, of red as the English national color. In the same reign all the soldiers of the King were ordered to wear a blue uniform trimmed with white and a Saint George's cross upon the sleeve. In 1544 an order required soldier to have a coat of blue guarded with red cloth and a pair of hose, the right hose to be all red, the left to be blue with one stripe of three fingers broad of red upon the outside of his leg." The cloaks of the cavalry were red. In 1584 sod green or russet was chosen for the Irish service, and in 1585 the English soldiers wore red eoatsoluring their service in the Low Countries. During the Civil War uniforms varied according to the colors of the leader under whom the soldier served. Red was the color chosen by King Charles and Prince Rupert for their bodyguards, but it was not definitely adopted as the English color until Queen Anne's reign. In 1693 the
infantry wore gray and the drummers scarlet. By the close of the seventeenth century nearly the whole of the land forces of Great Britain were uniformed in scarlet or blue, varying in the facings only. Helmets appeared in 1812 and the red stripe on the trousers in 1834.
The idea of facings (q.v.) in military and naval nnifo•ms grew out of the custom of pin ning back the long coat tails for convenience in action, thus showing the lining of a different color. Epaulets (q.v.) of gold bullion were evolved from the metal shoulder pieces used in armor, and appeared in 1795.
In 1603 James 1. ordered all shipmasters to dress in scarlet cloth, but a regular naval uni form was not used until 1746. A group of naval officers who were accustomed to meet at Wells Coffee lionse, in London, decided to place the question for a dress uniform for the naval ser vice before the King and Admiralty. through the Duke of Bedford. The colors suggested were red and blue, the national colors, but the King pre ferred blue .with white facings, which was adopted. Patterns of these earliest unifoa•rhs are to be seen at the United Service Institution, London. Under William IV. the naval colors were blue with red facings, and under Queen Victoria. and King Edward as originally, blue and white.
Uniforms were first worn in France by the entire army in the reign of Louis llIl. , Under Louis XIV. regiments were distinguished by the colors of their colonel. In 1670 Louvois by proclamation made the wearing of uniform com pulsory in the army, and gave definite instruc tions as to its details. The infantry were or dered to wear white coats faced with red, white waistcoats. and white breeches. The officers' uni forms were distinguished by difference in mate rial and trimmings of gold lace. A small cap was worn with this uniform. The cavalry had similar uniforms, but with leather breeches, plumed hats, and high boots.