La Chemise & Le Veste, ca.1750
(The Shirt & The Waistcoat)
Uniformes les Compagnies franches de la Marine
Compagnies franches de la Marine de Contrecoeur
(Above: Drawing by Michel Petard, from the article
"L'Homme de 1751, Les Compagnies franches de la Marine". Published in Gazette des Uniformes, No. 34, Nov-dec., 1976) |
Le Veste (The Waistcoat)
The French waistcoat used be the Compagnies franches was always sleeved, making it a very useful garment. In ca.1688, sergeants received red waistcoats and soldiers, grey-white waistcoats. Before ca.1700, the waistcoats became blue and remained so thereafter. Originally, it was made of blue "Mazamet" wool cloth; after ca.1719, the material became blue "Mauye" wool serge; and after ca.1732 it was blue "Boisseson" wool serge. |
Waistcoats delivered to Fortress Louisbourg during ca.1740's were made of 2 aunes of blue "Boisseson" wool serge, lined with three aunes of blue "Marvejols" wool serge. (An "aune" or "ell" is 45 inches) Three dozen small buttons of the same type used on the coat (Justaucorps) were used. Army waistcoats often had no buttons on the pocket flaps, but Marine waistcoats (especially with three dozen buttons) might have. Here the pockets were real, of heavy hemp linen. Waistcoats were relatively long, about eight inches shorter than the coat (Justaucorps). Sleeves had a plain slashed "sailor" cuff, closed with two buttons. Like the coat, there were buttons at the top of the side vents to support the back of the waistbelt when it was worn over the waistcoat. These buttons also served to hide the top of the pleat junction. Sergeants' waistcoats were made of 2 1/2 aunes (to the soldiers 2 aunes) of fine blue cloth. They had gilt buttons.
Styles followed that of the coat. Until ca. 1750's the waistcoat buttoned all the way down the front. During the 1750's when the coat only had buttons to the waist, the waistcoat probably had the same. The tails were not full like the coat and were not pleated. Thoughout the 18th century, an Officer or gentleman would have worn a veste over his shirt when he was in public. A gentleman would not appear in public in a shirt, it was considered to be undressed. (Right: A Compagnies franches de la Marine soldier wearing a later style waistcoat. Drawing by Joe Lee) |
(Text used on this web page was extracted from an article "French Marine Uniforms in North America" by Bruce J. Egli,
published in F & I War Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1984, The Journal of the 18th Century Society, New Alexandria, PA)
published in F & I War Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1984, The Journal of the 18th Century Society, New Alexandria, PA)