Uniform clothing was worn from at least the Late Medieval period. Henry V's army embarked for the Conquest of France in 1415, and wore surcoats bearing St. George's Cross. In 15th century England, companies raised under the system of Livery and Maintenance wore distinctive colored in clothing denoting their allegiance to a particular lord.

Certain royal bodyguards wore distinctive and regular uniforms. The Yeoman of the Guard raised by Henry VII wore Green and White Livery, emblazoned with the Tudor Rose. This costume can be seen on the far left of this image of Henry VIII and Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In the 1530's, the uniform changed to red, which was worn for ceremonial occasions. The uniform can be seen in the much more famous painting of The Field of the Cloth of Gold, produced in the late 1530's.

Uniform clothing was worn by troops raised in the Early Modern Period as well. Henry VIII ordered white coats, and corselets of Almayne Armor, be made for his Army which invaded France in 1518. Additionally, companies of soldiers raised during Henry's reign often wore clothing of a lord's colors, which echoed the earlier livery companies. However, these were frequently marked by Tudor badges. The soldier of the late 16th and Early 17th Century would be issued with of suit of cloathes, consisting of a linen shirt, a tight-fitting doublet, and voluminous 'pluder-hosen' which were gathered at the knee. Additionally, they would be issued with low-heeled shoes and stockings, a broad-brimmed, high crowned hat. Jacob de Gheyn illustrated a typical musketeer of the early 17th century for his 'Exercise of Arms.'

However, what distinguishes early examples of 'uniformity' among ordinary bodies of soldiers is both the irregular issue of clothing, and limited scope of issue. Frequently, the original body of soldiers raised might wear clothing of one color, which would then be replaced by clothing of a different color. Additionally, new drafts of troops could arrive, dressed in whatever clothing of whatever cloth was available. This of course, would be compounded by the inevitable adaptations and alterations made to clothing on campaign. Thus, the appearance of a Late 16th and Early 17th Century army battalion after a lengthy period of service could hardly be described as uniform.

In the absence of widespread uniform amongst large bodies of troops, and the dizzying array of colors on a battlefield, soldiers adopted field signs which distinguished one side from the other. In the English Civil War, Parliamentarian forces wore tawny-orange scarves, while those of the Royalists wore red or crimson. Even more temporary field signs existed as well, such as twigs, pieces of paper, or handkerchiefs. These improvished field signs were worn as late as the 1690's- The polyglot Williamite forces at the Battle of Boyne were distinguished from their Jacobite foes a sprig of greenery worn in their hats.

Important steps towards wider uniformity were made by armies of the mid-17th Century. Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden clad troops of his divisions in different colored uniforms. More sweeping changes were effected by Oliver Cromwell, who clad his New Model, the first standing army in England, in red coats. The trend towards uniformity continued and accelerated in the latter part of the 17th century. Under Louis XIV and his Secretary of State for War Louvois, the French army was overhauled and transformed into the largest army in Europe. Louvois took steps to ensure the uniformity of the French soldiery, such as making the state, not the Colonel-proprietors, responsible for clothing the army. The process began in 1672, when the King issued a grey Justaucorps (long coat) to soldiers, to be reissued annually. However, the adoption of uniform was a lengthy process- And many soldiers involved in the early stages of the Franco-Dutch war wore no uniforms at all.

The clothing worn by soldiers assumed a different aspect in the latter part of 17th century, in accordance with civilian fashion. The doublet and hose were replaced with the long coat, worn with a sleeveless undercoat, and closer fitting breeches tied at the knee with ribbon. The turn down collar was at this time replaced by the cravat, itself an innovation adopted from Croatian mercenaries. The hat was now turned up at the fore, and would later be turned up on two sides, and finally three- Forming a three-cornered shape around 1700. Changes in equipment occured as well, such as the replacement of the cumbersome bandolier (known by soldiers as the 'twelve apostles) with the cartridge pouch, and the universal adoption of the 'plug' bayonet, thus eliminating the need for pikemen on the field. The sword belt was moved from the right shoulder to the waist, where it would remain until the latter part of the 18th century. A drawing of four soldiers of William III's army in the 1690's present a good view of military fashion, still largely dictated by civilian dress, at the end of the 17th Centuries.

Throughout this period, it is important to note that for the most part, soldier's dress differed in only minor ways from clothing worn by civilians. There were exceptions, of course, such as the extravagant and ostentatious slashed doublets and hose worn by Early 16th century German Landsknechts, or the fur-lined oriental-inspired costume worn by late 17th century Grenadiers. Equipment, such as the musketeer's bandolier or the pikeman's cuirass, identify soldiers. Certain items of clothing carried military connotations, such as the cassock or broad hat. However, we need only examine the woodcuts of Jaycob de Gheyn produced in the early 17th century or the paintings of Sebastian Vrancx, produced a few decades later, to tell that, for the most part, little differentiated the cut of an average soldier's costume and that of a civilian.

Sources:

• Bleckwein, Ruth. "Prologue" in Battledress, ed. I.T. Schick (Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1978)

• Chartrand, Rene. Louis XIV's Army (Osprey, 1988)

• Cornish, Paul. Henry VIII's Army (Osprey, 1987)

• Lynn, John A. Giant of the Grand Siècle: The French Army, 1610-1715 (Cambridge, 2006)

• Mollo, John. Military Fashion (Putnam, 1972)

• Norman, A. Vesey B. From Warrior to Soldier (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1966)

• Tincey, John. Soldiers of the English Civil War, 2 vols. (Osprey, 1990)

• Wise, Terrence. Medieval Heraldry (Osprey, 1980)