Uniforms and dress codes all over the world are aimed at eliminating any bias on the basis of caste, creed or race. But when it comes to organizations, some decorum needs to be followed as bringing in uniformity cannot bring down the importance of designations and at the same time having different clothing for all the different posts is practically impossible.

To deal with this, came in the epaulettes!

Epaulettes are the type of an ornament or a shoulder piece that is used to determine the rank or the position of an army officer. It used as an insignia by the armed forces and other several organizations.

Epaulettes are worn on shoulders by a "shoulder strap," a small strap attached to the seam of the uniform. The placement of the epaulette, its color, and the diameter signifies the rank or position of the wearer.

History of epaulettes:

The end of the 17th century marks the origin of the shoulder epaulettes in the Roman military costumes. They were initially invented to keep the shoulder belts in place. The ribbons were tied into knots. This was the establishment of the first and the basic design of an epaulette.

It was from the 18th century onwards when the French army started using epaulettes to indicate the rank of their army officers. The position of the wearer was known by the simple sign of whether the epaulette is worn on the left, right or both the shoulders. Epaulettes were made in gold or silver for the officers with higher rank and in cloth of varied colors for the enlisted armed force. By the early 18th century, epaulettes had become the only insignia that featured a commissioned rank.

Epaulettes generally had fringes on the outside, but the Russian army had their epaulettes with neither a fringe nor does it extend beyond the shoulder seam. It was during the 19th century when this simplified version of the epaulettes was recognized everywhere and was used in the services all over.

• Types of the department:

Shoulder epaulettes are not only used on an army uniform but also on other uniforms of various departments. Choosing the right one for a specific department is very important. The other departments that use epaulettes are fire, police, navy, air force, etc. There are specific and recognized designs of epaulettes for each of these departments. Like a navy, the uniform would have an epaulette in navy blue or black color, or a fire department officer will look for an epaulette designed especially with fire or CAFC fire epaulettes.

• Colors to choose:

Regardless of any department, the epaulettes on all the uniforms will be in either black or navy-blue color as their background with design of your personal preference over it. Every epaulette must have black or navy-blue color or else the uniform won't have the desired appearance of the rank.

• Epaulettes based on rank:

Epaulettes are the way of distinguishing the officers of higher rank from the other army men. The bars on the epaulettes determine the rank of the officer. It is essential to take into consideration the bars on the epaulettes of that particular rank while choosing the right one. Most epaulettes have explicit ranks written on them. These include Deputy Chief, Fire Chief, Captain, Prevention officer, Colonel, Major, and General to name a few.

• Pins and Flags:

The epaulettes come with various pins or flags on it. They signify the rank of the officer. The pins on the epaulette also give a sense of pride to the wearer as they are the insignia of their achievements.

Buy from the Best:

Best Marines is a leading manufacturer of the industrial protective workwear. Extending the service, Best Marines is also a seller of uniforms and the epaulettes required on it. The big names like 3M and Honeywell are the leading manufacturers and sellers of the uniforms and epaulettes in the global market. But Best Marines is the making its mark on the Indian market. Best Marines have the best quality epaulettes at an affordable price. The materials used are durable and sustainable.

Best marines are well aware with the designated designs and stripes on the epaulettes for every ranking officer; hence determining the perfection in the making of the specified epaulettes. Best marines are the leading sellers of the navy and the merchant navy uniforms and epaulettes in the Indian market. To make it easier and reachable, best marines are selling the merchant navy epaulettes online on our website.

Best Marines is proud to announce that www.bestmarine.com is the most recommended website on Google India for the purchase of the best PPE clothing, protective workwear and uniforms with epaulettes.