#historical uniforms

[neylo]

Becoming Marshal of France - Part one: The annoying but necessary shit

@cadmusfly is a bad influence and a terrible temptation. I want you to know that you have succeeded.

Since I was a kid, I loved the feathered hats, the colourful shiny uniforms and the overall vibe of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. Apparently, it wasn't a phase.

I am a cosplayer and I love myself a good challenge. And now here it is. I am to make the ultimate entry for the Napoleonic fandom of Tumblr and make my own marshal uniform. I cordially invite you all to join my journey and perhaps, get inspired!

Let's start with the tunic.

Disclaimer: Reenactors, chill, I am not a millionaire - I can't, unfortunately, afford the expensive replicas of the buttons etc. I do not intend to participate in any kind of reenactment activity, and therefore I can't promise 100% historical accuracy. I would love to. But right now I can't.

Note: I use the metric system. It is nice, it is logical, and you should implement that too, Americans!

Before you start:

Step one: find the appropriate fabrics. Are you looking for dark blue? Great start. Now, it's time for some research. Napoleon's Marshals book by Osprey Publishing has done a great job describing the details. You can basically choose your own preferred material: Silk, velvet or linen. Congrats! For a whole-ass marshal tunic, you will need 2-3 metres of fabric depending on your size.

You will also need lining. I recommend linen lining and viscose lining for the sleeves.

Step two: Assess your insanity. There are multiple uniform patterns, each for a different occasion (source):

If you have three years of free time and unlimited supplies of goldwork threads, you can do the grande tenue - the first picture. I would advise you not to. But if you want, there is actually an extant one you can draw your inspiration from. It belonged to Ney. If you are going for this, you will indeed be the bravest of the brave.

Petite tenue is more subtle with less embroidery. Still, difficult as hell.

Tenue de campagne is the one I am going for. I don't like commitments. You will only need to embroider the collar and the cuffs + some stuff on the back. That is doable. That is what I am doing.

Step three: The pattern. The thing is, the patterns of the era were almost the same. I simply butchered my civilian coat pattern and changed it for a single-breasted one with a standing collar. Do you want help? I will share the pattern with you.

This is how my thing looks at the moment.

Step four: Embroidery. What is this shiny thing on the Marshals' uniforms? This is a kind of embroidery called "goldwork" and you need special metallic threads for it. They are not exactly easy to find, but Etsy is your friend. There are multiple US shops, and there is also EmbroideryMaterial shipping worldwide from India. They have a great selection and very agreeable prices.

For the Marshal tunic you shall need two kinds of threads:

The French wire (lol, it is really called like that!)

The Japanese thread (a thread wrapped in a thin gold plate)

You will also need small gold sequins.

I will show you the embroidery progress when my threads arrive. Before that happens, we need to design the embroidery. No worries, someone did it for you. That someone was actually me:

That's it for today.

Stay tuned for more posts.

[frankidacre]

Cpt. Noah Seawright (Silly guy who does silly things on his ships)

[toxxtt]

playing around with some historical french fashions on furina (+ neuvi).. I think she should always get big silly hats

18th+19th century mens fashion is one of my fav fav fav things is ever so this was fun 🫡 love being fashion history neurodivergent

[daguerreotyping]

Detail from a cabinet card of two officers with their arms entwined, their swords well-hung, and their mustaches on perfectly waxed point, serving cunt (and also the Austro-Hungarian Army I guess) circa 1890

[royaltea000]

See how easily they bleed

[silverseaming]

𝔴𝔢 𝔩𝔞𝔶 𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔬𝔯 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰 / 𝔰𝔬 𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔢'𝔡 𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔯𝔰 🥀

[my-darling-boy]

Unlocking my full potential as a historical reenactor today

[kiivg]

.“I bet your dance card was full tonight, ey, Reid, or did the young Charlotte keep prospective sweethearts at bay?”.

[apurpledust]

i'm watching an episode of this old BBC tv series of Napoleon and omfg there's this scene of Junot (and his only scene it seems like) holding a bottle of wine and has him saying lines like :

"Turkey... Big fat BEAUTIFUL girls!"

"Good, I like trouble. Same as you." and proceeds to drink the bottle of wine lol

Napoleon: "Trouble could be my chance" 😏 HAAHHA I'M DYING😭😭

[viminoo]

misc baberoe doodles + renee

[ripstefano]

"Vous ne les laisserez pas passer (You shall not let them pass)!"

French General Robert Nivelle

At the start of WWI, the French army wore bright blue jackets and red trousers, a tradition that dated back to the 19th century. These vibrant colors made soldiers easy targets, and the uniforms quickly proved impractical for modern warfare. In response, by 1915, the French military introduced the "horizon blue" uniform—a more muted, gray-blue color intended to blend in with the environment. This change marked a shift towards practicality and camouflage, with additional modifications, such as steel Adrian helmets replacing cloth caps, to better protect soldiers in trench warfare. Less drip, more practicality; I tried to include a uniform from each year.

From The French Army 1914–18

[neylo]

Done with this crap!

My very own marshal uniform for the Larp is ready (my character is based off Michel Ney). Enjoy the details:

The whole ordeal took two months. Would take more if I decided to go for historical accuracy (but I know how to do it now!)

It was a fun ride.

[miffy-junot]

print of Napoleon II in his hussar uniform

[soranatus]

Previews of Alek and Sharp at the beginning of Leviathan (2025)

[daguerreotyping]

Carte de visite of a dashing young Union soldier with pomade in his hair and worry in his eyes, c. 1861-65

[stanford-photography]

Mary Johnson Founder of The Sisters of the Revolution, New Jersey, 1777 By Jeff Stanford, 2024

Buy prints at: https://jeff-stanford.pixels.com/