Lace and Buttons: More than Just Decoration

Dressed in their madder red regimental coats, black hats, and white underclothes, the soldiers of the 8th Regiment who served at Michilimackinac in the 1770s may have looked quite similar to other British troops fighting in the American Revolution. Their uniforms, however, were unique, marked by distinctive buttons, trim, and lace tape.

An enlisted soldier of the 8th Regiment was literally covered with signs indicating his unit assignment. The cuffs, lapels, and collar of his regimental coat were royal blue, representing royal honors conferred upon the 8th by King George I in 1715. Although a few regiments were similarly honored, other units wore green, white, orange, yellow, or buff trim on their coats. A soldier’s buttons and the lace trim surrounding them, however, were unique to his regiment alone. Soldiers of the 8th wore nearly 40 pewter buttons on their coats, each marked “Ks8,” meaning King’s 8th Regiment. Archaeologists working at Michilimackinac continue to find these buttons today. Each button on the soldier’s coat was surrounded by regimental lace. The 8th Regiment’s lace included two “worms” or stripes, one blue and one yellow.

Although not as obvious as the badges, patches, and other unit insignia worn by the modern military, these historic elements allowed observers to quickly identify a British soldier’s regiment simply by looking at the details of his uniform. More importantly, the lace, buttons, and trim were all important symbols of a soldier’s regiment, and helped him create a sense of identity and belonging in the army.