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An aiguillette is a decorative braided cord worn on the shoulder, often with military uniforms, to denote rank or duty. It can also indicate that the wearer has received an honor. The cord is made from various materials and finished with metal tips. Different styles, colors, and positions of the aiguillette have different meanings in different countries.
An aiguillette is a decorative braided cord worn on the shoulder, most commonly in combination with military uniforms. The style, color, and position of the aiguillette, and the color of the uniform, may denote the rank or duty of the wearer. When worn with academic dress, the aiguillette can indicate that the wearer has received an honor.
The word “aiguillette” can also refer to an ornamental point used to finish a cord or braid, an embellishment that was popular on clothing during the 16th and 17th centuries. Although highly decorative, these aiguillettes were also highly functional and are the direct predecessors of the aglet, the plastic tip used to prevent shoelaces from fraying. These types of tags or decorative tips are still used in combination with modern military ornamentation and in the braided cord of neckties.
The ornamental cord used as aiguillettes is made from a wide range of materials, depending on the organization and the color required. Gold and silver aiguillettes are often made of wire, but other common materials used are silk, polyester, nylon, or zari, a tinsel thread used for weaving composed of a cheaper core material with a metallic coating. . The braided cord is finished with metal tips, often gold or brass. A separate aiguillette is created for the uniform and then attached, as needed, using button loops that connect with the uniform’s hooks or buttons.
In the United States, aiguillettes are worn in all branches of service in the military, with the styling, colors, and positioning meaning different things depending on the branch. The aiguillette style can denote a specific user task; military aides to the president wear a braided gold cord on the right shoulder, for example, and chapel guides in the United States Navy wear white “cords” on the left shoulder. The US Navy and Air Force also use the aiguillettes to specify rank among students or trainees, with different colors representing different ranks.
In the UK, there are only four styles of aiguillette used by Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, but they can be used to identify various ranks and positions depending on the branch. The French Army wears aiguillettes in all its branches, but only in combination with the full dress uniform. Other countries that use aiguillettes as part of military ornamentation include Canada, Australia, Ireland, France, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Ghana.
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