Hussar Uniforms
Hussar uniforms and equipment in the late 1800’s
Although various editions of dress regulations referred to the lace on forage caps as being of regimental pattern, there was little to determine what that should be. The 1878 regulation states that the lace should match the trouser lace but photographic evidence suggests that it wasn’t so.
The sabretache was a centuries old piece of military equipment. Hungarian and Bavarian hussars carried them in the latter half of the 17th century.
As in other cavalry regiments, the pouch and Pouch-Belt were an important part of the regimental identity of hussar officers. The pouch was originally designed to contain “writing materials” but for the most part was entirely decorative by the 1880s.
In 1881 hussar officers wore the pattern of busby introduced in 1858. Made of black sable fur, it was 7 ¾ inches high in front, 9 inches at the rear and 8 inches on the sides. The top of the busby to be ½ inch less in diameter than the bottom which was shaped to fit the head.
By 1881 the British hussar tunic was approaching its final form. Inspired by the German and Austrian Attila, the garment introduced in 1856 was long skirted and bore six loops of frogging across the front (Light dragoons had the same tunic but with five loops).
