Total duffer needs advice on late Victorian British uniforms

[Plynkes]

It's funny this business of the headgear fashions changing with the wind. I have a friend who was in the RAF and he told me there was much resistance in his outfit to the introduction of the shapeless, ugly beret at the expense of what they considered the smart service cap. He said that he and a lot of his mob kept their old service caps and they continued to wear them as often as they could get away with it.

I wonder if that type of thing went on much in other periods when there were changes of military fashion?

[timg]

Should imagine so, keeping an old piece of kit would mark the old sweat. When Battle Dress into the Army was introduced many old soldiers kept hold of the peaked Service Dress cap as it was smarter and marked them out as pre war intake, of course it tended to be used as an off duty or walking out item rather than in formation when the Sgt Majors were prowling.

[Red Orc]

Thanks very much for all the replies chaps. I should perhaps have made clear that under no circumstances was I planning to repaint anything, as Majorsmith's painting skill far exceeds my own; they will remain the best-dressed force at my disposal, as befits their status as soldiers of the Queen. Thus, they will remain a Line Infantry regiment, from England as that seems easier, and almost certainly to start with, from Trumptonshire (which is more or less where Wiltshire is I think). So they will for the time being, be the Trumptonshire Regiment, following the merger under the Childers reforms of the North Trumptonshire Volunteer Regiment and the Duke of Melchester's Own Regiment of Foot.

Plynkes, the pic of the early-20th Home Service Undress chaps in their natty caps and white jackets is amazing. Very 'what if' indeed. My suspicion is that there are Ruritanians just out of view...

Thanks again guys, this certainly has been an education.

[huevans]

I thought that light infantry wore a little Austrian style kepi after 1880. Did I get this wrong?

[carlos marighela]

yes