The age of sail was fought by men in blue and white and tarpaulin. Here is how the three main navies dressed their men.
Quick answer. 18th century Royal Navy officers wore dark blue coats with white facings, cocked hats and white breeches. Warrant officers wore similar in simpler cut. Common sailors (ratings) wore no formal uniform: short jacket (round jacket) over a blue and white striped shirt, slops (loose trousers), tarpaulin hat and buckled shoes. French naval officers wore blue with red facings. American naval officers wore blue with white or red facings. Marines wore red (British) or green (American) or dark blue (French) coats.
Royal Navy officers
Royal Navy officers adopted a regulation uniform in 1748, finally giving the officer corps a visual identity. The 1748 pattern: dark blue coat with white facings on collar, cuffs, lapels and turnbacks, white waistcoat and breeches, white stockings and buckled shoes, cocked bicorne. Rank was shown by lace quantity and buttonhole pattern. Captains wore heavy gold lace on the collar and cuff. Admirals wore even heavier lace, with gold embroidery at the collar. The pattern evolved through 1774, 1787 and 1795 but kept the blue and white theme.
Lord Nelson wore the 1795 pattern uniform at Trafalgar in 1805, with his orders and stars pinned to the chest. The specific coat he wore when shot survives in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, with the bullet hole clearly visible.
Warrant officers and midshipmen
Warrant officers (master, surgeon, purser, gunner, boatswain, carpenter) wore blue coats similar to commissioned officers but with simpler lace and no gold on the cuffs. Midshipmen (gentleman volunteers aiming for commissions) wore a blue coat with white collar patch, white waistcoat and breeches. The white collar patch (sometimes called the midshipman's turnback) was the distinctive mark of the rank. Many midshipmen were as young as eleven when they first went to sea.
The common seaman
The ordinary sailor (rating) had no formal uniform until the mid 19th century. Through the 18th century he wore what the ship's purser issued or what he could obtain from the slop chest. Standard sailor's dress: a short blue or brown wool round jacket, a shirt (often blue and white striped), slops (loose trousers reaching to just below the knee or at the ankle), buckled shoes or bare feet, a tarpaulin hat (black waterproofed canvas or felt). Petty officers and warrant officers' servants dressed slightly better. The whole look is familiar from countless 18th century paintings and prints.
Royal Marines
The Royal Marines, formed as the Marine Regiment of Foot in 1664 and formally designated the Royal Marines in 1802, wore the standard red infantry coat with facings. Up to 1802 the facings were white (giving the nickname of white facings) and after 1802 blue. Marines served on every ship as a small detachment, providing sentries, boarding parties and small arms fire from the tops. The marine's red coat distinguished him clearly from the sailor's blue, which was important in close combat on crowded decks.
French and American naval uniforms
French naval officers wore dark blue coats with red facings and gold lace, white waistcoats and breeches, cocked bicorne. French marines (Compagnies Franches de la Marine) wore grey white with blue facings. American naval officers after 1775 wore dark blue coats with white or red facings, modelled on the Royal Navy pattern. The Continental Marines in green coats with white facings. The American naval officer pattern was formalised in 1797 and lasted essentially unchanged into the 1830s.
Common questions
When did the Royal Navy adopt a uniform?
For officers, 1748. For ratings, not until 1857. Through the 18th century ratings wore whatever the ship's purser issued.
What is a tarpaulin hat?
A black waterproofed canvas or felt hat with a wide brim, worn by common sailors. The waterproofing was tar based, hence the name.
What are slops?
Loose cotton or canvas trousers worn by sailors, reaching to just below the knee or at the ankle. The ship's slop chest sold these and other items to the crew.
Did midshipmen wear a uniform?
Yes. A blue coat with white collar patch, white waistcoat and breeches. The collar patch was the distinctive mark of the rank.
Where can I see Nelson's uniform?
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich preserves the coat Nelson wore at Trafalgar, including the bullet hole from the fatal shot.