Daywear Coatees?

[CollinMacD]

I have done extensive research for years on many types of U.S. military uniforms. Area of expertise is the 19th and early 20th century. One jacket often overlooked, that was so popular early 19th century. peaking in popularity in the U.S. in the 1850's France, Spain, and England, around the 1650's, was the Bolero Jacket. The same style carried through to WWI, especially with bands and Drill Teams, both US and British, It was the French who introduced the Bolero in the Military, Spain picking it up next, then England, and so on, by the mid 19th century it was so popular, it became a fashion icon, being the latest fashion rage of women using the jacket on evening gowns and day dresses.

Often the bolero has fancy embroidery, trefoil designs called tombeaux, in gold, yellow, blue or red. This was a very short jacket, extending just below the rib cage, with no functional buttons, but a top collar clasp. Various styles eventually morphed into function buttons, but still maintained the button rows for design and bling, often using round or sphere buttons. Below a Zouave soldier from the American Civil War period, most likely the uniform is pre-Civil War, and he was part of local militia drill team. Notice the jacket.



Here are a few, most will recognize them as French Zouave Jackets, worn through WWI by the French and Algerian Military, but spread to England and US as well. Below is a depiction of the French Zouave, Corps of Africa, during WWI, some of these same uniforms even appeared in WWII.






These are very short jackets, but you can notice how it morphed into the shell jacket, combination of the extension of the Bolero and the shortening of the Frock.. I believe these jackets were post Civil War.





This may seem to be a little off-base for this discussion, especially as we discuss Scottish Jackets of Pipers. There is a direct relationship to Scottish, English and French you will discover as you dig deeper into the bolero jackets origin. The bolero style Jacket was born before the Shell, and was the grandfather of the Shell and Eisenhower Jacket, including many of the shorter jackets worn by the military as they approached WWI. The Bolero jacket has its origins from Algeria's, and north Africa, over to the middle east that because popular in 1200 - 1600, it was their native dreass, before the French adopted the style for many of its Dragoons, and Cavalry units including the Voyageurs (light mounted infantry), Chasseurs, and such, which was quickly adopted by the British, Spainish, and other European Armies, before making its way to the U.S. You will find the same style jacket used by the Spanish, for the matadors wear this style even today, however seems like the Spanish maintained the tails of the frock, shortening the front but keeping tails will into the 19th century. Ottoman adopted the Bolero Jacket from North Africa quick quickly in the 18th and 19th century, especially the Cossacks.

All Bolero jackets originated in North Africa, of all places. Another version of the jacket was called the Chasseur. Below is a photo of a proud American Chasseur (on the right wearing the cap), he is with the 87 Pennsylvania, and was one of the regiments who were awarded the prize of wearing Chasseur a pied uniforms especially imported from France, because of their prowess at drill, during a national competition. This same uniform was allowed during the American Civil War. The solider on the right is part of the 14th Brooklyn, named the "Redlegs" as they wore red trousers. Again the uniform was allowed and worn during the Civil War. Both are examples of the short jacket with the Zouave influence. This same style was used by the British as well as other European Armies. The Crimean war was the first real test and past successfully becoming very popular replacing the longer and cumberson Traditional Frock Coat.



Many bands and drill teams of the 19th Century in the U.S. and Canada, were very poplular pre-Civil War, and the jacket was so popular, many town and city militias adopted the Zouave style uniform for its elite companies or battalions. The French carried on this style through the early 20th century and the Zouave soldiers uniform did not change through WWI. However, over the 19th Century the longer Frock Coat, often worn my many of the Military forces, became obsolete to the Shell jacket or the eight button Militia Jacket. Simply because the soldier had so much leather strapping, catridge box, haversack, canteen, belt with cap box, bayonet and scabbard and so on, it was hard for the soldier to do bayonet drill, or even raise his percussion rifle/musket to shoot, plus the added weight of the jacket, especially as the solider sweat, caused the frock to be very heavy. So using the bolero jacket, modifying it to be waist long turn it into a shell jacket offered more coverage and maneuverability for the soldier to fight. It all started with the original Zouave or Bolero style from North Africa in the late 12th century.

Here is a British, possibly Scottish version of the Bolaro.



So finally, lets talk about the Scottish. The private of the 79th New York Volunteer Infantry below, wears the Scottish full dress of his regiment, including a kilt made out of Cameron of Erracht tartan. For undress, tartan trews were also worn, but trying to find supplies of enough tartan in the U.S. to outfit the entire regiment proved to be a problem. On June 2 1861, when the regiment paraded in Baltimore, one journalist reported that the crowd who had come out to see the 79th in their Scottish uniforms was disappointed because only a third of the regiment were outfitted in Scottish dress. However, if you notice the Jacket is patterned from the New York Style Militia Jacket, first worn by Artillery, then Cavalry, eventually issued to Infantry, trying to eliminate the Frock coat. The Militia Jackets often was considered dress, but was used for battle, as their was shortages of uniforms, and material. Finally the army adopted a standard, non dress jacket. Specificall for battle dress known as the "Sack" , Battle Blouses, or Fatigue Jackets, all considered the same thing, a four button, square fitting jacket with inside breast pocket and collar with brass buttons, usually an 8 ounce steamed wool pressed to broadcloth.




Just thought you might like to know.