The young ensign wears dress uniform for mess and social occasions. The shoulder plaid of Cameron of Erracht tartan is wrapped around his body, hanging back and front from the left shoulder, secured with a plaid brooch. Beneath that is a crimson officer’s sash which ends with large tassels on his right hip. The scarlet 1857-pattern doublet has a green collar with embroidered star badges to denote the rank of ensign. The round green cuffs have a green slash flap decorated with three round gilt buttons and gold braid loops. There is a line of gold lace around the top of the cuff, and the top and front of the collar. White piping traces the edges of the collar, cuffs and the Inverness skirts, which are also decorated with gilt buttons and braid. The shoulder cords were simple doubled gold cords at this stage, becoming more complex after the uniform changes of 1881.
His waist-belt is the dress version, a blue velvet belt heavily embroidered with gold wire, supporting an ornate dirk which has a small knife and fork inserted into pockets on the scabbard. The broad white belt on his right shoulder supported his dress sword, described as a claymore in the Dress Regulations but more properly called a broadsword. The front of the white belt is adorned with a rectangular gilt plate. The goat hair sporran has a well-crafted gilt cantle and six gold bullion tassels suspended from gold and blue twisted cords formed into figures of eight. The kilt is of the same sett as the plaid, and the green and red hose are worn with black patent leather, buckled shoes. A skean dhu is tucked into the right hose. His ostrich feather bonnet rests on the table. https://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/79thcameronbadge1840b.htm
