Officer Stable Dress c1846

In 1846 the 7th DG were in South Africa for the 7th Kaffir war. The men campaigned in shell jackets and the officers wore a stable jacket which was waist length and later came to be used as a mess jacket, worn open with a waistcoat. This jacket was fastened down the front with hooks and eyes but had small studs all the way down, quite close together. The collar was of black velvet, two and three quarter inches deep laced around the outer edge and edged with gold gimp along the bottom. The pointed cuffs were also in black velvet with gold lace edges. There was a thin velvet edge along the bottom of the jacket, and there was gold lace all around the edges and forming 'bulls-eye ornaments at the hips which show a light of the regimental facing'. The shoulder straps were of twisted gold gimp chain with small buttons.
Undress trousers were blue with a scarlet cloth stripe according to the 1846 Dress Regulations, but the artist, Henry Martens, has given the officer dress trousers which had a gold lace stripe one and three quarter inches wide. The undress belts are all white leather, although the DR states that the sword-belt, and the pouch belt, were two and a half inches wide. The pouch and undress sabretache were of plain black leather. The forage cap was blue with a gold lace cap band and a figure of gold Russia braid on top. The patent leather peak had a gold wire embroidered edge. In the background two officers can be seen in blue frock-coats.

Regiment | Uniforms