About Color Guard Uniforms

Along with flags and rifles, color guard uniforms are time-honored symbols of group pride and support, whether worn by high school students or a nation's troops. These official uniforms also signify a respect for tradition while honoring a country or organization through the use of institutional colors. For centuries, color guard uniforms have helped to distinguish armies and teams from one another.

  1. History

    • Color guard uniforms have been around since 1775, when the armies of the American Revolution displayed their flags and national colors during battle. During this war, marching bands sporting similar uniforms assembled to play music for soldiers and carry their army's flags as a show of support and patriotism.
      Like the flags they symbolized, early color guard uniforms helped represent and identify army units. Over the years, the uniforms have become more elaborate, as have the increasingly choreographed color guard performances.

    Function

    • Color guard uniforms are designed to reflect the character of a country or even an athletic team, often including the colors of a national flag or school mascot to help evoke a sense of national pride or team spirit. Uniforms worn by color guard members also serve to differentiate armies and schools from one another, such as during parades and competitions when several school color guards may be performing at the same time.

    Significance

    • Color guard uniforms vary in color to represent a particular army unit or organization. For example, members of the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard don traditional navy blue jackets trimmed with red and white trousers, along with white hats and gloves. The three colors of the American flag are represented in these uniforms: blue, representing justice and perseverance; red, meant to symbolize valor; and white, suggesting innocence and purity.

    Identification

    • Though they vary in color, color guard uniforms are clearly official and ceremonial attire. If the color guard in question is part of a nation's military, the uniforms are more official and are either in camouflage or the national colors.
      School color guard uniforms can vary even more, but also represent the institutional colors. They may be more flamboyant than military ensembles, with a wider array of adornments found on hats and jackets, such as tassels or feathers.

    Types

    • Traditionally, both military and school color guard outfits include solid-colored pants, a structured jacket, hat and gloves. A typical U.S. Army color guard uniform, for example, is made of lightweight materials such as cotton, and includes dress slacks and jackets trimmed in red and adorned with gold buttons, white gloves and white hat. High school color guard members today tend to wear a wider variety of outfits, including skirts, pants and decorative sashes in cotton-spandex materials.