The origin of the white uniforms worn by the navies of many countries

Without a doubt, of all the military uniforms, those used by navies are the most distinctive due to their range of colors.

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Typically, many navies wear white uniforms in the summer and dark-colored uniforms in the winter. This tradition has been maintained in dress and everyday wear, but has been abandoned in more modern work uniforms. The use of white is particularly striking, as it is a very bright color, which contrasts with the use of brownish colors and camouflage clothing in many other areas of the armed forces.

The color white in navies is a tradition that has its origins in the first naval uniforms, which emerged in the late 18th century and especially in the early 19th century. As with other matters, the tradition of wearing naval uniforms originated in the United Kingdom, at least with regard to the sailors. It should be noted that there are few sources from that period that address the subject of uniforms, so data is limited.

In 2012, Fernando González de Canales y López.-Obrero noted the following in "Uniformes de la Armada. Tres siglos de historia (1700-2000)" (Navy Uniforms. Three Centuries of History (1700-2000)), which addresses the history of the uniforms of the Spanish Navy:

"Initially there was no precise regulation defining the uniform of the personnel of the Spanish Navy. Between 1700 and 1717 the large uniform was identical to that of the French Navy, common to the Army. In 1717 the first uniform of the Navy was defined, "jacket with braid and alarms", and in 1724 two uniforms were available - large and small - identical to those of the Corps Guards.

The first regulation of a uniform to be worn by private officers dates back to 1761, "blue with gold braid on the edge", its use being authorized for general officers in 1769, who since 1751 wore the common uniform of the Army and Navy and who could continue to use it until 1909, with the appearance of curl".

It should be noted that the term "curl" (coca, in Spanish) in naval language refers to the twist of the stripe worn on the sleeve by officers, in the shape of a bow, replaced by many navies (such as the United States Navy) with a star. It originated in the British Royal Navy, being established in 1856 and later adopted by the navies of Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Denmark and finally Spain in 1909, as Alfonso de Ceballos-Escalera pointed out in "Cien años de la coca como emblema del Cuerpo General de la Armada" (One hundred years of the curl as the emblem of the General Corps of the Navy), in the Revista General de Marina in November 2009.

In the aforementioned work, González de Canales points out the following about the reason for the colors of naval uniforms:

"Their color also influences their thermal qualities. In winter and cold climates, the predominant color in garments will be a dark color, blue or turquoise, which absorbs the maximum solar heat, while in tropical areas and summer, white will prevail. Even footwear adapts to the climate: black, hazelnut, and later white canvas."

This is largely due to the traditional exposure to the elements on old sailing vessels. White reflects sunlight and makes the garment cooler, while dark colors absorb heat, making it more suitable for winter. This explains the current uniformity of many naval forces, with white uniforms in the warmer months and dark ones (either black or navy blue) in the colder months, as is the case with the Spanish Navy.

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Photos: Elentir / U.S. Navy.