well-dressed men Archive

  • A Brief History of Royal Navy Uniforms

    A Brief History of Royal Navy Uniforms

    Officers’ Uniforms The British Royal Navy adopted a dark blue officers’ uniforms in 1748. This uniform would be the basis for of most of the world’ naval dress. The British were the main maritime power their uniforms influenced those adopted in other countries. [Broderick] The enlisted unform would also prove very influential, but it would [...]

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  • Royal Navy Uniforms Extant Garments Album Updates

    Royal Navy Uniforms Extant Garments Album Updates

    Many new images have been added to both the regular Extant Garments album and the Lord Nelson album. There were too many new items for individual posts, so I thought I’d highlight them here. Of particular interest are the surgeon’s uniform items near the bottom. I can just see Stephen making a horrible mess of [...]

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  • Royal Navy Uniforms: Sailor’s Shore-Going Rig

    Royal Navy Uniforms: Sailor’s Shore-Going Rig

    This seaman’s hat and waistcoat from the early 19th century is the newest addition to our Well-Dressed Men Royal Navy Uniforms Extant Garments album. It is probably an example of “shore-going rig”, as regular seamen had no set uniforms until later in the century. Captains would often provide the crew of their personal barge with [...]

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  • Royal Navy Uniforms: Lord Nelson Album

    Royal Navy Uniforms: Lord Nelson Album

    Lord Nelson’s reputation as one of the greatest naval minds of the Napoleonic Era is not a modern invention. He was considered a hero during his lifetime, long before Trafalgar, to the extent that many of his personal effects “attained the status of relics” while he was alive. For this reason, many of those personal [...]

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  • Royal Navy Uniforms: Extant Garments Album

    Royal Navy Uniforms: Extant Garments Album

    This is a new addition to our Well-Dressed Men album, which until now featured caricatures and paintings of what our favorite Royal Navy officers and sailors wore during the Napoleonic Wars. Thanks to the excellent resources at the National Maritime Museum, the album now includes photographs of original garments from the period. Many of these [...]

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