DECEMBER 219 



The easy grace of the full-dress uniform of an officer of 

 the Guards towards the close of the eighteenth century 

 is admirably shown in Romney's portrait of John, tenth 

 Earl of Westmorland, now at Osterley Park. It shows a 

 long-skirted scarlet frock, lined with white, faced with 

 blue, with ruffles at the wrists, and without any orna- 

 ment save a pair of gilt epaulets of moderate size and soft 

 material, very different from the cumbrous, unyielding 

 things now prescribed for naval officers and lords- 

 lieutenant. The frock is worn open over a Ramillies 

 cravat and waistcoat and breeches of white kersey. It 

 would be difficult to devise a dress for a soldier so well 

 combining comfort and dignified distinction. To one 

 feature only can objection be taken. The powdered 

 and curled hair, clubbed in a pigtail, looks charming 

 on Romney's canvas, but must have proved an intolerable 

 nuisance both to officers and men. 



' During the command of the late Duke of Kent at Gibraltar 

 [1802-3], when a field-day was ordered, there not being 

 sufficient barbers in the town to attend to all the officers in 

 the morning, the seniors claimed the privilege of their rank ; 

 the juniors consequently were obliged to have their heads 

 dressed the night before ; and to preserve the beauty of this 

 artistic arrangement pomatumed, powdered, curled and 

 clubbed these poor fellows were obliged to sleep on their 

 faces ! It is said that in the adjutant's office of each regiment 

 there was kept a pattern of the correct curls, to which the 

 barbers could refer.' l 



The men wore tunics of a cut similar to those of the 

 officers, but of coarser cloth. They were buttoned up 

 on duty, the skirts being looped back. It was a 



1 A History of the Dress of the British Soldier, by Lieut. -Col. John 

 Luard, 1852. 



