Napoleonic uniforms are the military clothing of the wars of 1796 to 1815, and they remain the most elaborate uniforms ever taken into battle: tailcoats and dolmans in national colours, regimental facings on collar and cuffs, brass buttons, braid, epaulettes and tall headdress. Each army kept a base colour, France largely in dark blue, Britain in red, Prussia in dark blue, Russia in green, and marked every regiment out with its own facing colours.
The colour map of the Napoleonic battlefield
ONE BASE COLOUR PER ARMY, ONE FACING COLOUR PER REGIMENT
What a Napoleonic soldier actually wore
The core outfit was consistent across Europe: a wool coat (a tailcoat for most infantry, a braided dolman for hussars), a waistcoat, breeches or overalls, tall headdress (shako, busby or bearskin depending on the unit), and crossbelts carrying cartridge box and bayonet. Officers added epaulettes, gorgets, sashes and finer cloth. The French line artillery of 1806, for example, wore dark blue tailcoats with red cuffs and brass buttons, a pattern we reproduce directly.
OUR 1806 FRENCH NAPOLEONIC TAILCOAT REPRODUCTION
Infantry, artillery, guard: the main uniform families
Line infantry wore the national base colour with regimental facings, the backbone of every army. Artillery wore darker, plainer schemes, almost always with red trim, since gunpowder and pale cloth do not mix. The Imperial Guard and other elite formations wore the most elaborate versions of everything, taller bearskins, more braid, better cloth. And the cavalry was a world of its own, from armoured cuirassiers to braided hussars; we break those down in our Napoleonic cavalry guide and the hussar jacket guide.
FRENCH LINE ARTILLERY JACKET, 1806 PATTERN
Building a Napoleonic impression today
Start with the coat, because it defines the impression; everything else hangs off it. Choose your army and regiment first, since that decides the base colour, the facings and the buttons. Reenactors usually add the waistcoat and breeches next, then headdress and leatherwork. Every Napoleonic coat we make is handmade in wool to the pattern of your chosen unit, cut to your measurements, and custom commissions can reproduce any regiment from a reference image. Browse the Napoleonic jackets collection and the French Napoleon uniforms range, or the wider 18th century collection.
Frequently asked questions
What colours were Napoleonic uniforms?
France mostly dark blue, Britain red with blue light cavalry, Prussia dark blue, Russia dark green, with each regiment marked by its own facing colours.
How accurate should a reenactment uniform be?
As accurate as your event requires. Living history societies usually expect correct colours, cloth and button counts; theatre and cosplay allow more freedom. Tell us the standard you need and we build to it.
Can you reproduce a specific regiment?
Yes. Send a reference image or the regiment's name and we quote a custom reproduction, handmade in wool to your measurements.
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