"Uniform differences from WAS to SYW" Topic

As the title says how much did uniforms change from the WAS to the SYW. As I see it the prussians were pretty much the same, but I find it harder to access info on the French, British, and Austrian specifics of the WAS, seems that most describe the SYW in detail.

One thing I have seen on figures and some illustrations is that the coat tails were turned back and pinned in place. This would show the regimental colour lining of the coat. But I am definitely no expert

You could write a book on the differences between the WAS and the 7YW and most would just be conjecture.

A lot of the changes took a while to filter through to army units in a real life situation never mind what the Clothing Warrants said.

Pick one good source and go with it. Don't worry too much about finer details, your troops won't fight any better for it.

Any regulation post 1748 is a good start nogo for WAs.😋.

Very good question and JimDuncanUK is right. But there area couple of general observations we can make.

1- By regulation the French French Infantry was a bit more colourful in the SYW than the WAS because many more regiemints (re) adopted red and blue coloured waistcoats between the wars. In the WAS most of the waistcoats (vestes) has been gris-blanc.

2- By custom and fashion there was gradual move to turn back the skirts of the i nfantry regiments coats during the SYW. I am pretty sure there is no definitive guide on this but the watercolours by contemporary amateur artist Christian Becker of regiments campaigning in Germany gives some first hand references for which regiments adopted this style.

The Osprey books on Louis XV's army are excellent and have many Becker illustrations. They are written and illustrated by two of the foremost authorities on this subject Rene Chartrand and Eugene Leliepvre. Anyone who is snobbish about Osprey books- and TMP has a fair share- will have their prejudices set straight by these books.

The British infantry uniform was essentially the same, but in the WAS the sword belt was worn over the coat. In the SYW the sword belt was worn under the coat and had a belly box.

dbf1676- That's certainly true of the British in the first half of the WAS, but there is recent suggestion that they started to wear their waistbelts under the coat during the second half of the war- probably post 1745.

Morier's painting of the RA in Flanders in 1748 shows small figures of infantrymen who seem to be wearing their waistbelts under the coats- and all of the gunners certainly do. Stuart Reid discusses this in his Osprey on the c18th Redcoat, and 'Like hungry wolves' about Culloden. Reid is a real expert on British c18th uniforms- both books are worth buying.

Re the Austrian Infantry- the main difference was a lot less uniformity between regiments. All wore white coats of course but some had lapels and some not. Also, facing coloured turnbacks and/or breeches and/or waistcoats were common. Both black and white gaiters were worn by different units.
Morier again is a good source, he was with the Allied Army in 1747-48 and will have had first hand access to the troops courtesy of his Royal patron the Duke of Cumberland-

link

Stephen Summerfield's recent book on the Austrians is also very good.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I will try to get some more sources. I am building armies in 6mm from Baccus, so the minor details will be ok, but I would like to use the armies for both wars. Will do the flags interchangeable for the austrians.

According to Denis Gandilhon in 'Fontenoy: France Dominating Europe', in the caption to a plate of a private of the Gardes Francaises on page 17, it was standard practice in the French army to hook the coat skirts up on the march and unhook them in action.