Uniforms of the British Army


The uniforms of the British Army currently exist in twelve categories ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress. Uniforms in the British Army are specific to the regiment to which a soldier belongs. Full dress presents the most differentiation between units, and there are fewer regimental distinctions between ceremonial dress, service dress, barrack dress and combat dress, though a level of regimental distinction runs throughout.
Senior officers, of full colonel rank and above, do not wear a regimental uniform ; rather, they wear their own "staff uniform".
As a rule, the same basic design and colour of uniform is worn by all ranks of the same regiment. There are several significant uniform differences between infantry and cavalry regiments; furthermore, several features of cavalry uniform were extended to those corps and regiments deemed for historical reasons to have "mounted status".

Full dress

Full dress is the most elaborate and traditional order worn by the British Army. It generally consists of a scarlet, dark blue or rifle green high-necked tunic, elaborate headwear and other colourful items. It was withdrawn from a general issue in 1914, but is still listed in the Army Dress Regulations, which speaks of it as "the ultimate statement of tradition and regimental identity in uniform" and the "key" to all other orders of dress. Each regiment and corps has its own pattern, approved by the Army Dress Committee. They are generally a modified version of the pre-1914 uniforms. 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. Gloves as worn with full dress uniform are white for all ranks in all regiments and corps, with the exception of The Rifles, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, and the Royal Irish Regiment, who all wear black gloves in full dress. This is also the case with the Frock Coat and Numbers 1 and 3 dress. In addition, the Life Guards, the Blues and Royals, the Queens Royal Dragoons, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the Royal Dragoon Guards, and the Royal Lancers all wear white leather gauntlets when mounted.
Image:The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery - geograph.org.uk - 1464992.jpg|thumb|left|Troopers of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery in their blue light cavalry-style full dress uniform
Full dress is still regularly worn on ceremonial occasions by the Foot Guards, the Household Cavalry and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. It is issued at public expense to these units and to the various Royal Corps of Army Music Bands for ceremonial use. Other units may obtain full dress on occasion, as it can be worn whenever a parade is attended or ordained by the monarch or a member of the British royal family, including ceremonial parades, state funerals, and public duties around royal residences, or participating in the Lord Mayor's Show.
Most regiments maintain full dress for limited numbers of personnel, including musicians and guards of honour. However, all of these uniforms must be purchased and maintained from non-public funds.
Historically, musicians were an important means of communication on the battlefield and wore distinctive uniforms for easy identification. This is recalled in the extra uniform lace worn by infantry regiments' corps of drums, and the different coloured helmet plumes worn by trumpeters in the Household Cavalry. Shoulder "wings" are now a distinguishing feature worn by musicians of some non-mounted regiments and corps in ceremonial forms of dress. Originally, wings were embellishments in a certain number foot regiments, so that, in 1750, nineteen out of forty-nine foot regiments wore them, although they had been forbidden in 1730. In December 1752, the wings were reserved for grenadier companies only, followed by the light infantry in 1770. Within less than three decades, these initially small and modest features grew in size, became stiffened and lavishly trimmed with lace and fringes. After a design change, in 1836, the wings disappeared by the end of the Crimean War, 1855, and became solely the privilege of military musicians.
Headgear, as worn with full dress, differs considerably from the peaked caps and berets worn in other orders of dress:
Not all full-dress uniforms are scarlet; light cavalry regiments and the Royal Artillery have worn blue since the 18th century, while rifle regiments wear green. The seven support corps and departments in existence in 1914 all wore dark blue dress uniforms, with different coloured facings. Hussar and Rifle regiments' tunics feature cording across the chest, while that of the Royal Lancers and Army Air Corps features a plastron in the facing colours.

Facings

Each regiment and corps of the British Army has an allotted facing colour according to Part 14 Section 2 Annex F of the British Army dress regulations. Where full dress is currently not used, the notional colours can be ascertained by the colours of the mess dress; if the regiment in question has not been amalgamated with another. The Intelligence Corps, SAS and SRR have never had a design of full dress, and neither the SAS nor the SRR currently have a design for mess dress. The Intelligence Corps mess dress colour of cypress green is "traditionally unacceptable", and the full dress facing colours of the SAS and SRR can be inferred from their beret colours according to this section of the regulations. The London Regiment and existing Yeomanry regiments have a variety of colours for their various sub-units.
Blue: Field Marshals, General officers and Colonels, The Life Guards, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, The Royal Dragoon Guards, The Queen's Royal Lancers, Foot Guards Regiments, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, the Royal Welsh, Adjutant General's Corps, Honourable Artillery Company, Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
Scarlet: The Blues and Royals, Queen's Royal Hussars, Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Educational and Training Services, Royal Military Police Royal Army Physical Training Corps, Royal Corps of Army Music, Honourable Artillery Company, The Royal Yeomanry
Yellow: Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Crimson: The King's Royal Hussars, Army Cadet Corps
Buff: The Light Dragoons, The Mercian Regiment
Royal blue: The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
Maroon: The Parachute Regiment, Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Dark blue: The Royal Anglian Regiment, The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment
Black: Royal Corps of Signals, Army Legal Services
Blue velvet: Royal Engineers, Queen's Gurkha Engineers, The Royal Logistic Corps
Black velvet: Royal Tank Regiment
Brunswick green: The Royal Yorkshire Regiment
Piper green: The Royal Irish Regiment
Grey: The Intelligence Corps
Cambridge blue: Army Air Corps, Small Arms School Corps
Purple: Royal Army Chaplains Department
Dull cherry: Royal Army Medical Service
Slate grey: Royal Gibraltar Regiment

Frock coats

One type of frock coat may be worn by officers of lieutenant general and above on formal occasions when not on parade in command of troops. They are a knee-length, dark blue, double-breasted coat with velvet collar and cuffs. It is usually worn with the peaked cap but is occasionally worn with a cocked hat by certain office-holders such as the Major-General commanding the Household Division, Gold Stick and Silver Stick and the Constable of the Tower.
A different type of frock coat is worn by certain officers of the Household Division, Honourable Artillery Company and King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery. These are also dark blue but are single-breasted and with ornate black braiding and loops. Similar braided coats are worn on occasion by directors of music and bandmasters of bands affiliated to line cavalry regiments in dark blue.