"So what's the current thinking...(part 247 of 3,000,000)" Topic

…..the French 1st and 2nd Carabiniers wearing their blue "undress" (stable dress?) coatees at Waterloo?

Paul Dawson seems to question whether they ever even had blue stable dress much less wore it at Waterloo.

I don't know about YOUR Carabiniers, but mine are in full dress

Just spray paint them blue, paint their faces and call it done.

As with Saber6. I never try to match a particular battle. I want sides distinct, then troop type, then--in larger scales--regiment--and good-looking within that.

rustymusket, the Painting Police will be coming for you later today. Please offer resistance. They'd love that.

Sabre6 –

Mine are also in full dress, and they look magnificent. If they are going to meet their God, they will superbly attired.

"You can never be too well dressed on the field of battle."

That's why I think the whole Minie ball thing was such a big mistake. Leads directly to cased colors, dismounted cavalry and uniforms the color of mud. People are just as dead, but no one can see them being brave.

By the third day weren't most uniforms the colour of mud?

+1 Saber6

If not in full dress, why even nbother showing up?

Put them all in drab, torn campaign clothes and they all will look the same. If you want them to stand out give them their finest.
One thing about Russians they seem to wear all the fine details all the time.

Thanks everyone – so the white number it is then.

One thing about Waterloo, every single regiment had plenty of time to get brand new uniforms, or to at least get them back from the cleaners.
Had Nosey Wellington been a cad, he could have let the French win. Then they would have had to be shabby, CAMPAIGNING 😱 against Prussians, Austrians and Russians!

Thankfully, for the honor of French sartorial splendor, Wellington beat them. Thus keeping the Frogs looking pretty!

I could also say blue, in case you buy and read Dawson's book about cuirassiers and carabiniers, he leaves this question open, there are too many sources, and Paul acknowledges it to show carabiniers in a sort of ligbt blue tunic, the most recent conclusion is that they wore the light blue stable jackets. Russians did not wear at all their finest, the covered a lot of lace etc, with black wool or tape.