Epaulettes are decorative shoulder ornaments, often worn by uniformed personnel and used as an indicator of an individual’s status within an organisation (such as the police or military).

While epaulettes are often associated with ceremonial dress uniforms, they are still worn today in a wide variety of real-life situations, such as by paramedics, prison and police officers, yacht crews and many other professionals.

What is the history of epaulettes?

The word ‘epaulette’ comes from the French word for shoulder, ‘épaule’ (which itself evolved from the Latin word ‘spatula’ meaning shoulder blade).

Epaulettes were originally simple, functional straps that were used to hold shoulder belts. It was towards the end of the 17th century that they evolved into the decorative shoulder pieces we see today.

From the 18th century onwards, epaulettes were used in the army and navy of both France and the USA to indicate rank. The rank of an officer could be determined by whether the epaulette was worn on the left shoulder, right shoulder or both.

What do the different styles of epaulettes mean?

Epaulettes can vary in size, colour and design depending on what level of authority they are conveying. The design of an epaulette will vary depending on the organisation’s own rules and history but the placement of the epaulette, its colour, and the length and diameter of its bullion fringe can all be used to signify the wearer’s rank.

In the Royal Navy, for example, the epaulette of a commander will feature a crown and a foul anchor, with the design becoming increasingly complex as you move up the ranks. An admiral’s epaulette will feature a crown, crossed baton and sword and three stars, while an admiral of the fleet’s epaulette features a crown, crossed batons and four stars.

UK police epaulettes follow a similar system, with the epaulette of a police constable being blue with a simple ‘999’ embroidery and the epaulette of the most senior rank, a chief constable, being purple with crossed tipstaves in a laurel wreath with a crown above.

At Golden Finishes, we provide epaulettes in a wide variety of styles including woven, embroidered, blank and wire designs. We also vary the sizes of our epaulettes depending on the specific criteria of the organisation and are happy to customise your design for a personal touch.

To find out more about our epaulette customisation services, check out our epaulettes page or get in touch with us today.