The word "axelbow" comes from the German anhsel and band, meaning "armpit" and "bow". Axelbant is a braided thread cord with metal tips. It began to be used from the middle of the 17th century mainly as a decoration of military uniforms.
According to the charter
Axelbant, as an integral part of the dress uniform, must be worn at the parade, in the guard of honor, as well as by musicians of military bands. It is usually attached to the right shoulder, but sometimes, according to the tradition of the unit, it can also be attached to the left. In the case of a historical reconstruction of any costume, the aiguillette is attached in accordance with the images or description.
Also now members of the so-called company of drummers wear the aiguillette. It is fastened like a military one, however, it has its own peculiarity: the “female” hussar suit does not have a lapel, so the aiguillette in this case is simply neatly sewn to the uniform, and if there are several transverse strips with buttons, you can attach the end of the aiguillette to one of them on desired height. In the case of drummers, there is no general rule, as with any theatrical costumes.
Origin
There are three versions of how the aiguillette appeared. This, according to the first version, was first foragea rope once worn by cavalrymen, and metal tips used to clean the seeds. It is believed that it was originally a long musket fuse.
The second version says that the aiguillette appeared in France. In order to hold the horse when the general descends, the adjutant threw a short loop of rope around the animal’s neck, and for convenience he always carried it with him and attached it to a shoulder strap or epaulette.
And the third, most romantic version, says that at a time when the Netherlands fought for independence with Spain, one Dutch regiment moved from the army of the Duke of Alba to their fellow countrymen. The enraged duke began to hang everyone from this regiment who could be captured. The soldiers began to wear a rope on their shoulders as a sign of contempt.
Perhaps all these versions are right, or maybe the origin of the aiguillette is different, but now it is widely used to decorate the uniform, and for several hundred years certain rules have developed on how to wear the aiguillette on the uniform. These rules are observed in all countries with rare exceptions that can only be associated with certain local traditions.
How to sew an aiguillette
Modern aiguillette is not just a rope, but a whole bunch of them, however, on any uniform, whether it be naval or combined arms, it is attached under the right shoulder strap. First you need to cut off the shoulder strap by about half, then put a fabric strap at a distance of 0.5 mm from the edge of the shoulder strap from the side of the sleeve. The first should be a cord that has an ornament (tassel,ferrule). The second end is fixed under the lapel with the help of a tip. To do this, a button is sewn under it in a special way. It is important that the loop holding the tip is not visible from under the lapel. Sometimes only a buttonhole is sewn on instead of a button.
Tradition
In the Russian Empire, aiguillettes appeared in the first half of the 18th century. They were worn by grenadier and musketeer regiments. The officers wore a gilded or silver-plated cord, and the soldiers wore an ordinary thread. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had become an integral part of the uniform of generals. Adjutants of all branches of the military and officers of the General Staff wore aiguillettes.
After the revolution in 1917, the aiguillette was abolished, but reintroduced to the USSR in 1971. For officers, it was gold, with two loops and metal tips. Sergeants, foremen, sailors and soldiers began to wear silver, the only tip of which was gold.
In the same 1971, at the parade in honor of the October Revolution, the uniform of soldiers was decorated with aiguillettes, after which the hazing, so-called "demobilization" aiguillette entered the tradition. These are homemade white or colored cords that were attached to the uniform in accordance with all the rules.
Other countries
Interestingly, there are four classes of aiguillettes in the British Army. First, or royal: golden wire aiguillettes. They are worn by people holding court positions - court doctors (life physicians), court surgeons, priests,palace cavalry, as well as field marshals, marshals, fleet admirals and air marshals.
The so-called ministerial, or second class: they are worn by officials from the Defense Council. The aiguillettes of this class vary in color according to the type of military force: gold and dark blue for the navy, and crimson and light blue for the army and air force.
The third, or officer, class of aiguillettes worn by officers of the army, air force and navy are painted in the same colors.
Plain fourth class worn by corporals and musicians of the dragoon regiment.
Now the aiguillette is part of the dress uniform in almost any country in the world. Although they differ in appearance and number of colors, they are almost always fixed in the same way.
