British military uniforms follow one rule across three centuries: a branch colour plus a regimental identity. Infantry in red, light cavalry in blue, rifles in green, artillery in blue, the Royal Navy in dark blue and gold, with each regiment marked out by facing colours, lace and buttons. Learn that grammar and every British uniform from the 1660s to 1914 becomes readable.
The branch colours at a glance
THE GRAMMAR OF BRITISH MILITARY DRESS, 1660s TO 1914
Three centuries in four moves
1660s to 1740s. The restored Crown's standing army settles on red, and long skirted coats with huge turned back cuffs carry enormous facing colour displays. The 1747 clothing regulations pin each regiment's facings down in print.
1750s to 1815. The classic age: tighter coats, then tailcoats; grenadier bearskins; light infantry and rifles appear in green; the light dragoons and hussars take blue. This is the army of the American Revolution and Waterloo, and the era most reenactors build. The full colour story is in our redcoat guide and the British vs French comparison.
Victorian era. Tunics replace tailcoats in the 1850s, officers wear the long blue frock coat for daily duties, and hussar and rifle tunics carry cording across the chest. Full dress reaches peak splendour just as it leaves the battlefield.
1902 onward. Khaki service dress takes over for work and war; scarlet, blue and green survive in ceremonial full dress to this day.
60TH ROYAL AMERICAN REGIMENT JACKET · RED WITH REGIMENTAL FACINGS
Officer vs soldier: reading rank on the coat
An officer's coat was the same colour as his men's but better in every detail: finer cloth, gilt or silver buttons and lace where the ranks had brass and worsted tape, epaulettes, a crimson sash and a gorget at the throat in the 18th century. On the mounted side, officers added the long skirted coats we cover in the cavalry coat guide. The Royal Navy ran its own ladder of blue and gold, from midshipman to the massed bullion of an admiral.
ROYAL NAVY VICE-ADMIRAL JACKET · BLUE AND GOLD
Building a British impression
Pick the era, then the branch, then the regiment, in that order, because each choice narrows the next. Redcoat infantry is the classic entry point with the deepest sources; naval officers and hussars make the most dramatic single garments. Everything we make is handmade in wool with the correct facings and buttons for your chosen regiment, cut to your measurements. Start in the British military uniforms collection, or go straight to a custom commission with a reference image.
Frequently asked questions
Did all British soldiers wear red?
No. Red belonged to the infantry and heavy cavalry; light cavalry and artillery wore blue, rifles wore green, and the Navy wore dark blue.
How do I identify a specific regiment?
By the facing colours on collar and cuffs, the lace pattern and the button count and spacing, all recorded in period clothing regulations.
Can you make any British regiment's uniform?
Yes. From stock patterns in the collection to full custom reproductions built from a regiment name or reference image.
Redcoats to admirals · Handmade to order