"A different way to look at troops" Topic

I've read somewhere (so it has to be true!) that British regiments each had their own style, and regimental wig maker.
Were powdered wigs even worn in the field? Or were they just worn on parade?
Would they be the first thing abandoned when "roughing it" in the field? Like Burgoyne altering uniforms for the wilderness.

If worn, would they be confined to officers?
I have a bunch of SYW Hungarians in the queue, so…
What about cavalry?

When did powdered wigs stop being worn?

I don't trust any paintings of George Washington with one, unless it's contemporary.

My impressions, without benefit of real research, is that they came in after the War of the Spanish Succession and went out during the French Rev/Napoleonic era. A lot of those wigs went into the "head" basket at the base of the guillotine.

Officers wore the wigs, John, while the OR's powdered and dressed their hair for parades. Whether they wore the wigs, or powdered their hair, when on campaign is another one of those questions where there's no definite answers. The few contemporary sketches I've seen don't answer the question, either.

I think wigs and powder were barracks dress, probably only parade dress, except for young officer "toffs" and senior officers. On campaign they'd be put away by the OR's and sensible officers.

Blame the French. They popularised them, then killed the fashion dead.

Powdered wigs (perukes) came into fashion in Europe in the late 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV. His court popularised elaborate wigs and aristocratic officers across Europe copied the style.

The French Revolution later rejected aristocratic fashion like wigs and powder and the fashion died.

I have a memory of an English officer in the Peninsular wearing a queue & powder as he was old fashioned. This may be historical or a forgotten memory of a Sharpe book!

With the possible exception of some household types, I don't believe any rank and file ever wore powdered wigs. Their hair was usually styled with animal fat and flour, which was not particularly pleasant and hence limited to specific occasions.

Wigs were expensive, and wigmakers were specialized artisans. The low end of their clientele were the "professions", e.g., barristers, physicians, middling merchants, etc.. and part of their trade was restyling wigs to reflect changes in fashion.

They should be brought back! Imagine how much more interesting briefings would be if given by a general in a powdered wig?

And camo!

And the cocked hat (I know John will back me on this).

I don't see any reason why modern generals shouldn't dress in any manner of old-time rigamarole. They aren't living or fighting in the field -- they aren't subject to being shot at -- they might as well wear wigs and tricorns, or hoplite panoply, or Star Trek uniforms for all the difference it would make.

I want to see the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff give a briefing wearing Camo, full medals, not ribbons, wearing a powdered Whig and tricorne.
Plus, of course, Beauty spots and arsenic white powder on their faces. .

If ALL generals around the world were to comport themselves thusly, perhaps we would have fewer wars.

This is not just French. A lot of Austrians and English too. Not just Camo, but with Facings in the Regimental colors too.

Harrumph.

Add breeches to the "uniform" too.
White, or camo.

With regards to the British Army, junior ranks (along with people such as clergymen) were exempt from the Duty on Hair Powder Act of 1795, which put a heavy tax on the stuff, but the Army discontinued the requirement for powdered hair the following year, and finally cut off the queues/tails circa 1799-1800, to near-universal delight.

Worth remembering that the Marquess of Granby gave rise to the phrase to "go bald-headed" at an objective when he led a cavalry charge against the French at Warburg in 1760 at such a gallop that his hat and wig blew off. An otherwise unjustly obscure fellow commemorated by quite a few pub names in England in memory of the event. (The British operational name for the Gulf War in 1990-1 was Op Granby, because that was the name of the Westminster pub from which a bunch of colonels had to be dragged to start planning when Saddam invaded Kuwait…)