The French line infantryman's tailcoat was the uniform that marched from Boulogne to Moscow. Here is how it was built.
Quick answer. French Napoleonic infantry wore a dark blue wool tailcoat known as the habit, in two main patterns between 1804 and 1815: the long tailed habit of 1791 (worn until roughly 1812) and the short closed Bardin pattern (habit veste) of 1812. Both used white turnbacks, red collar and cuffs for the line infantry, and were produced in enormous quantities by state and private contractors.
The 1791 habit
The habit worn from 1791 and refined through Napoleon's reign was the classic long tailed French infantry coat. Dark blue broadcloth, lapels folded back to show the white lining, red collar, red cuffs, white turnbacks at the tail. Buttons were pewter or brass with the regimental number. The lapels folded closed in cold weather or stayed open to show the white, which gave the long single breasted silhouette its distinctive appearance.
Cut varied with contractor. Some habits were long enough to reach the back of the knee, others only to mid thigh. The tails hooked up on service, which gave the famous turnback appearance familiar from Napoleonic plates.
The 1812 Bardin regulations
In 1812 the Bardin regulations introduced the habit veste, a shorter closed coat without the folded back lapels. The new coat buttoned straight down the chest with nine buttons showing. Collar and cuffs stayed red. Shoulders had cloth strap wings or straps. The reasoning was cost and simplicity: a Bardin habit used less cloth and was faster to make.
In practice the transition was slow. Units leaving for Russia in 1812 wore the old long coat because the Bardin was not yet in widespread issue. By 1813 most line infantry had switched. By 1815 at Waterloo, both patterns were still in use, which is why plates of the Hundred Days show a mix of styles even in the same company.
Facings and distinction
Line infantry wore red collars and cuffs on blue. Light infantry (voltigeurs and chasseurs) wore blue with distinctive facings in yellow (for voltigeurs) or green (for chasseurs). Grenadier companies within a line regiment wore red fringed epaulettes, red plumes and often cuff flaps in a slightly different pattern. Fusilier companies wore blue shoulder straps. Elite companies within the Imperial Guard had their own patterns of embroidery and lace.
Cloth and quality
Napoleon's state workshops supplied some uniforms, but much of the cloth came from private contractors in Elbeuf, Sedan and Louviers in northern France. Quality varied. Early campaigns received decent broadcloth. By 1813, with the empire losing manpower, cloth quality fell: thinner weaves, less dyeing, more patching. Letters from Russian prisoners in 1812 describe trading parts of their habits for food.
A new habit weighed about three pounds. On campaign, with service dirt and repeated repairs, the coat was often patched with any available cloth, sometimes in strikingly different colours. Russian cossacks reported finding French dead at Krasnoi in habits patched with Russian peasant linen.
The underlayer
Under the habit went a white or buff waistcoat (gilet), a linen or cotton shirt, and in winter a flannel underlayer. Trousers were white in summer, blue in winter, worn over short gaiters that reached mid calf. The infantryman's standard black shako sat on top. The whole figure in parade dress was unmistakable: blue habit, white waistcoat, white trousers, black shako with brass plate and tricolour cockade.
Common questions
What is a habit?
Habit is the French word for a coat. The habit of the Napoleonic infantry was a long tailed single breasted tailcoat, in dark blue for the line regiments.
What was the Bardin regulation?
A 1812 reform of French infantry dress that introduced the habit veste, a shorter closed coat without folded back lapels. Named after the clerk who drafted it.
How did line and light infantry differ?
Line infantry wore red collar and cuffs on blue, with white facings. Light infantry wore blue on blue with yellow (voltigeurs) or green (chasseurs) facings. Both wore the same general cut.
Did soldiers really wear white trousers in battle?
In summer parade dress, yes. On campaign, trousers were often blue, grey or any available colour. The all white summer uniform rarely survived more than a week in the field.
Can I buy a replica Napoleonic habit?
Yes. Reenactor and theatrical productions commission full habits in wool broadcloth. Expect six to twelve weeks of lead time for a bespoke build.