The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-08-20
GAY COLORS BANNED
UNIFORMS OF SOLDIERS ARE NO
LONGER CONSPICUOUS.
Elaborate Costumes That Were Worn
by Combatants of the Last TWO
Centuries Are No Longer Seen
on the Battlefield.

The soldiers dress has been simpli-
fed to bare necessities. 1t was other
wise in the old times. The military
regulations Of the eighteenth and the
greater part Of the nineteenth centu-
ries furnish one long record of altera-
tons Of costume, of solemn injunC.
lions as to laces, loops, frogs, buttons,
facings, epaulets, wings" and what
not.
The dressing of the soldiers hair
was a special object of concern. In
til the end Of the eighteenth century
the hair was an elaborate arrange
ment of grease and powder. Three
shillings per man was the allowance
in 1884 for these two toilet adjuncts,
and the cost to the country four shil-
lings four pence for pipe-clay and
whiting with which to furnish up his
white breeChes and leather appur-
tenances. To make up for this out
lay he was expected to make shift
with the renewal of only half Of his
Waistcoat-the fore part-the hind
part having to be made out OF that
of the preceding year! So ran the
regulations Of 1888.
In 1895 powder was discontinued by
the non-coms and the rank and file
but IL was still the regulation for
officers. When the Observation-Disclosures
the Observation-Disclosures of the trim
NEST regiments in the army, was sta
toned at Weymouth in 1897 an order
was issued directing that the hair was
to be dressed with one curl on each
side; the toupee turned and not toe
long; the club to be tied high and tC
be more broad at the top than at the
bottom; the rosette to be all ribbant
and not more than eight inches in di
ameter, the ribband and Tosette to BIZ
perfectly black and put on after pow
dering."
The Grenadiers and light infantry
officers were to have their hair dressed
"the same as the men, excepting thell
side locks, which may come down 81
as to cover the open part Of the ear
but never lower, and must be frizzet
30 as not to blow about" Queues wer'
worn until 1903.
The soldiers hat has been the sub
ject of continual experiment ant
change, from the picturesque hat o
1886, with its broad brim turned VI
on one side and ornamented will
white ribbon, to the mean LOOKING
Broderick cap In 1851 the three
cornered cooked hat was in favor
then came the imposing inter car
converting the wearer into a sor
Of miniature pope; and this was fol
lowed by q bearskin Of a slmiia
> shape. In 1873 light infantry wor
leather caps almost as small as skul
caps, with a large round peak. Tn
officers hat of 1898 was most elabc
rate and expensive affair, ornamente
with the finest black ostrich feathers
with a standup feather of red an
black.
The shake, the most hideous ha
ever contrived, commenced its Ion
, reign in 1900, when it supplanted tn
cooked hat. Originally it was {
lacquered felt, with peak, a larg
brass plate in front and a red an
black tuft on the crown rising from
I small black cockade; and after man
y variations it disappeared in 1877
8 when the cork helmet became tn
n regulation hat, in it's turn to be 81
r perseded by the khaki cap, which, a
I things considered, is about the bei
t headgear yet devised.-London GloD