A cavalry coat is the uniform coat worn by mounted soldiers from the 17th to the early 20th century: cut long in the skirts to cover the legs on horseback, fitted through the chest, and marked out by a standing collar, contrasting facing colours on the collar, cuffs and lapels, and rows of buttons or braid. "Military coat" is the wider family; a cavalry coat is the branch of it shaped by life in the saddle.
The anatomy of a cavalry coat
SIX FEATURES THAT MARK OUT A CAVALRY COAT
Every feature had a job. The long skirts kept the rider's legs warm and dry, and the rear split let the coat fall on either side of the saddle. Facing colours on the collar, cuffs and lapels identified the regiment at a distance. Braid stiffened the chest, and the standing collar held its shape on a moving horse.
Heavy cavalry and light cavalry wore different coats
HEAVY CAVALRY
Cuirassiers and dragoons, built for the battlefield charge. Sturdier coats in solid regimental colours, often worn under or beside a breastplate. French cuirassiers rode in blue coats, dragoons in green.
LIGHT CAVALRY
Hussars, light dragoons and lancers, used for scouting and raids. Shorter, flashier jackets with heavy cording across the chest. British light cavalry wore blue from the 18th century onward.
The most famous light cavalry coat of all is the braided hussar jacket, copied across Europe from Hungarian horsemen. We cover that style in full in our hussar jacket guide.
OUR ROYAL BLUE NAPOLEONIC CAVALRY OFFICER COAT · GOLD BRAID, LONG SKIRTS
A short history, century by century
1600s and 1700s. As plate armour left the battlefield, the coat became the cavalryman's identity. Long wool frock coats with turned-back cuffs and facing colours spread through every European army; by 1688 most French cavalry already rode in uniform grey coats with red facings.
Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815). The golden age of the cavalry coat. Cuirassiers in blue, dragoons in green, hussars in braided dolmans and pelisses, every regiment marked by its own facing colours on collar, cuffs and lapels.
Victorian era. British cavalry officers adopted the long-skirted blue frock coat as everyday dress after the Napoleonic Wars. It began single breasted, became double breasted by the Crimean War, and from the 1860s gained the black cord loops across the chest that give Victorian cavalry coats their look.
Today. The cavalry coat survives in ceremonial full dress, on stage and screen, at reenactments, and in fashion, where the braided, fitted silhouette returns season after season.
OUR 1700s CAVALRY OFFICER FROCK COAT · HANDMADE IN WOOL
Cavalry coat vs military coat: the difference in one minute
Every cavalry coat is a military coat, but not every military coat is a cavalry coat. Infantry coats were cut shorter and plainer, because a foot soldier needs to march, not ride. A cavalry coat is recognised by the combination on the diagram above: long split skirts for the saddle, a fitted chest, standing collar, facing colours and braid. If a coat has short tails and minimal decoration, it is more likely an infantry or general service pattern.
You can compare the styles side by side in our military coats collection, which carries cavalry, infantry and officer patterns together.
Wearing one today
Cavalry coats are ordered from us for reenactment, theatre and film, ceremonial and parade wear, weddings, and plain everyday drama. Every coat is handmade in wool and cut to your own measurements; our sizing guide with diagram shows the five numbers to send. If you want a specific regiment, era or film reproduced, that is what our custom commissions service exists for.
6TH REGIMENT HORSE HUNTERS JACKET · DARK GREEN WOOL
Frequently asked questions
What is a cavalry coat made of?
Historically wool, and ours are too. Wool holds the structured military shape, wears well outdoors and matches the period originals.
Why are cavalry coats so long?
The skirts covered a rider's legs against weather and sabre cuts, and the rear split let the coat sit over the saddle. On foot, the length simply looks commanding.
What did the colours on a cavalry coat mean?
The base colour usually marked the branch or army, and the facing colours on the collar, cuffs and lapels identified the individual regiment.
Can I get a cavalry coat in my size?
Yes. Every coat we make is made to order from your measurements, in standard sizes or fully custom.
Every piece handmade to order · Worldwide shipping
