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Officer 1669 by P H Smitherman
This plate shows an officer wearing the first tropical dress worn in the British army, and is based on drawings made in 1669 in Tangier, where a garrison was maintained for some years. It appears to be made of some light natural linen or cottton, and is cut loosely, as tropical dress is today. The coat, which follows generally the cut of a coat then worn at home has short sleeves decorated with ribbons, allowing the full cut shirt sleeves to be seen, and is worn open - in fact it has no buttons. The usual heavy crimson sash round the waist is replaced by a light cord, and the large, broad brimmed hat by a smaller and lighter version. It is notable that the full bottomed wig was retained. The knot of ribbons on the right shoulder seems to be a rather strange forerunner of the single epaulette or knot of cords worn by officers on the right shoulder fifty years later but which was not as yet worn on military dress at home, as far as we know. We, perhaps, would not regard this early shirt sleeve order as particularly suitable for hot weather, but it was no doubt acceptable in an age when men were generally more heavily clothed than we are. |
