Uniforms of the British Army

It generally consists of a scarlet, dark blue or rifle green high-necked tunic (without chest pockets), elaborate headwear and other colourful items.

In the case of units created since the First World War, such as the Army Air Corps, the full dress order incorporates both traditional and modern elements.

Full dress is still regularly worn on ceremonial occasions by the Foot Guards, the Household Cavalry and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.

[5] Historically, musicians were an important means of communication on the battlefield and wore distinctive uniforms for easy identification (coats laced and/or in "reversed colours").

1 dress originated in the "undress" uniforms ('blue Patrols') worn for semi-formal or ordinary duty occasions in the late 19th century.

It was first issued in its current form for the 1937 Coronation, intended as a cheaper alternative to the full dress uniforms that had been generally withdrawn after 1914.

1 dress consists of a dark blue stand collared tunic, matching trousers, and peaked cap, caubeen, or beret depending on the regiment.

Light cavalry regiments wear a lace crossbelt in place of the sash, while Rifle regiments wear a polished black leather crossbelt, as do the Special Air Service[16] and Royal Army Chaplains Department (who have a unique pattern of tunic that features an open step collar instead of a stand collar).

Other ranks wear a white, buff, or black leather belt with a regimental pattern locket, with a bayonet frog if carrying arms.

This order of dress dates back to white drill uniforms worn for "hot-weather" ceremonial and off-duty wear in India prior to World War I.

1 dress (with red facings) during the rest of the year due to the cold and often stormy weather (a black Slade–Wallace belt being worn with No.

8 dress, which was introduced as part of Project PECOC[citation needed] in 2011, is known as Personal Clothing System – Combat Uniform (PCS-CU); it is based around a Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) windproof smock, a lightweight jacket and trousers with a range of ancillaries such as thermals and waterproofs.

Prior to 2011 separate designs of combat dress were provided for use in desert, temperate and tropical regions (numbered 5, 8 and 9, respectively, in the uniform regulations) all of which were replaced by PCS-CU.

All personnel in 16 Air Assault Brigade, regardless of parent cap-badge, wear a 3x3” Drop Zone Flash where a TRF would normally be placed on the left arm.

Troops from other services, regiments or corps on attachment to units with distinctive coloured berets often wear the latter with their own cap badge.

Colonels, brigadiers and generals usually continue to wear the beret of the regiment or corps to which they used to belong with the cap badge distinctive to their rank.

When the British Army finds itself in peacekeeping roles, regimental headdress is worn (where the tactical situation allows) in preference to the helmet or MTP hat, in order to appear less hostile to local civilians.

The British Army's temperate mess dress includes a waist-length short jacket, with which men wear trousers, overalls or a kilt; and for women a long skirt.

This order of dress includes various types of protective clothing ranging from the standard overalls to specialist kit worn by aircrews, chefs, medics and others.

It consisted of a short jacket called a blouse and high-waisted trousers made of khaki wool serge worn with a beret or side-cap.

Desert combat clothing is listed as: hat, jacket and trousers DPM and were issued to soldiers and other British military personnel posted to Cyprus, the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Prior to the English Civil War of 1642–1651 the only significant instances of uniform dress in British military culture occurred in small bodyguard units, notably the Yeoman of the Guard.

The Household Division resumed wearing their scarlet and blue full dress in 1920, but for the remainder of the Army it was only worn by regimental bands, or else on certain limited social or ceremonial occasions (an example of the latter was the 1937 Coronation when mounted detachments from participating cavalry regiments were issued with full dress uniforms for the occasion).

[41] The reason for not generally reintroducing the distinctive full dress between the wars was primarily financial, as the scarlet cloth required expensive red cochineal dye.

Historically, the great bulk of the British Army wore red or scarlet (with the Royal Artillery distinctive in blue).

[44] The early use of camouflage in the form of plain khaki reflected the exigencies of colonial war and the freedom allowed, and taken, by many of the officers who fought it.

The adoption of khaki for active service resulted from the development of weapons of greater accuracy and range combined with smokeless powder during the late 19th century, making low-visibility on the battlefield a matter of priority.

[46] During the Second World War a handful of British units adopted camouflage-patterned clothes, for example the airborne forces' Denison smock and the windproof suit.

After the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 the Monmouth cap, a broad-brimmed, low-crowned felt hat, with one side of the brim generally turned up, was introduced.

However during the Crimean War it proved impractical for active service and the round, undress, Kilmarnock forage cap was worn by most of the regiments engaged.