Uniforms of La Grande Armée

However, for a long time, line infantry were a mix of the new blue coats worn by the National Guard and the white uniforms of seasoned veterans from the old Royal army.

While headgear and details in cut changed, the uniform remained almost completely the same from the beginning of the French Revolution.

The hat, a black felt bicorne, was the standard infantry headdress at some of Napoleon's greatest battles.

In 1807, the hat was replaced by the shako, which was made of black felt, chevron on the side and visor, a brass diamond shaped plate stamped with the Imperial eagle over the unit's regimental number, white cords, and brass chin scales.

Many units had pompoms with a houpette and the center generally colored white with the company number printed in black or red.

The black leather M. 1801 cartridge box held 35 rounds of ammunition and was carried by a white buff shoulder belt; that for fusiliers had a frog for the bayonet.

Every regiment had a squad of Sappers who were recruited from grenadier battalions, they usually wore the uniforms of the grenadiers with some differences; crossed axes badge on the upper sleeves,a bearskin cap with red cords and plume attached but lacked a plate.

They were equipped with a long leather apron, white gauntlet gloves, and an axe with a brass mounted handle.

The corps of Carabiniers was a group of heavy cavalry originally created by Louis XIV.

The 6th regiment in circa 1810–1812 wore a white helmet mane and red plume, a blue coatee with orange edged silver cuffs and collar, red epaulettes with a white crescent, and orange laces on the chest.

Instead, pompoms coloured red, sky blue, orange, and violet were issued for the first company of each squadron.

The uniform of the light cavalry (or Chevaux-légers) of the line consisted of a green coat with turnbacks and lapels of the regimental facing color, which could be crimson, red, blue, pink or yellow.

The uniform of the Napoleonic hussars included the pelisse: a short fur edged jacket which was often worn slung over one shoulder in the style of a cape, and was fastened with a cord.

This garment was extensively adorned with braiding (often gold or silver for officers) and several rows of multiple buttons.

On active service the hussar normally wore reinforced breeches which had leather on the inside of the leg to prevent them from wearing due to the extensive riding in the saddle.

The French hussar of the Napoleonic period was armed with a brass hilted sabre and sometimes with a brace of pistols, although these were often unavailable.

The uniform of the soldiers of the train was made of a light blue-grey coat and buff breeches.

The most notable difference was the headgear : Grenadiers of the Guard wore a tall bearskin cap with a brass plate stamped with the Imperial eagle, with white cords and red plume, and a red patch with a golden grenade on the top of the bearskin.

The only change was the headgear, black shako with the imperial eagle, white cords and brass chin straps.

Raised from sailors of the French navy who had distinguished themselves, the battalion of Marins wore a distinctive, elaborate uniform resembling that of the hussars.

The Marines of the Imperial Guard wore blue vest and trousers piped aurore (orange-gold).

The trumpeters wore a light blue tunic with white lappels and crimson turnbacks and collar.

It was the Chasseurs that usually provided personal escort to Napoleon, and he habitually wore the non-Hussar uniform of a colonel of their regiment in recognition of this service.

Here is the color scheme of their coats: For parade, the Polish Lancers' uniform consisted of dark blue kurtkas, amaranth lapels and facings.

Weapons consisted of an "Oriental" scimitar, a brace of pistols in a holder decorated with a brass crescent and star, and a dagger.

They wore a tall bearskin cap with a visor, topped by a red round cloth patch nicknamed cul-de-singe ("monkey bottom") with a white grenade embroidered on it.

In 1815, crested helmets with black manes (red for trumpeters) were introduced but not completed, so the Gendarmes d'élite fought their last campaign with mixed headgears.

The field officers generally wore a gorget and epaulettes which could be in silver or gold, depending on the corps but according to the buttons.

Some soldiers wore speciality insignia such as horseshoes for farriers or two crossed axes for sappers In Ancien Régime France, drummers and trumpeters wore the royal livery which consisted of a blue coat with red and white stripes.

When France became a republic, musicians wore various types of uniforms to distinguish them from other soldiers depending on each colonel's imagination.