A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around
the body, draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip, or else running around
the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, but the sash
from shoulder to hip is worn on ceremonial occasions only. Ceremonial
sashes are also found in a V-shaped format, draping from both shoulders to
the stomach like a large necklace. Aristocratic and republican use
In Latin America and some countries of Africa, a special presidential sash
indicates a president's authority. In France and Italy, sashes, featuring the
national flag tricolours and worn on the right shoulder, are used by public
authorities and local officials, such as legislators, in public ceremonial
events. Sashes traditionally form part of formal
military attire. Most of the European Royal families wear sashes as a part of
their royal regalia. Some orders such as the Légion d'honneur include sashes as
part of the seniormost grades' insignia. Likewise Italian military officers wear
light blue sashes over the right shoulder on ceremonial occasions.
Military use Sashes are a distinctive feature of some
regiments of the modern French Army for parade dress. They are worn around the
waist in either dark blue or red by corps such as the Foreign Legion, the
Spahis, the Chasseurs d' Afrique and the Tirailleurs which were originally raised
in North Africa during the period of French colonial rule. In its traditional
Franco-Algerian or zouave form the sash was four metres in length and forty
centimetres in width. In the historic French Army of Africa, sashes were worn
around the waist in either blue for European or red for indigenous troops.
At the time of the American Civil War silk sashes in crimson were authorized
for officers and red woolen sashes for non-commissioned officers of the regular
US Army. U.S. Generals continued to wear buff silk sashes in full dress until
1917. In the Confederate Army of the Civil War period sash colour indicated
the corps or status of the wearer. For example: gold for cavalry, burgundy for
infantry, black for chaplains, red for sergeants, green or blue for medics, and
grey or cream for general officers. With the exception of the West Point Band
Drum Major, today the West Point cadet officer is the only person in the US
Army who wears a sword and sash, the sole guardian of the tradition.
The modern British Army retains a scarlet sash for wear in certain orders
of dress by sergeants and above serving in infantry regiments, over the right
shoulder to the left hip. A similar crimson silk net sash is worn around the
waist by officers of the Foot Guards in scarlet full dress and officers of line
infantry in dark blue "Number 1" dress. The same practice is followed in some
Commonwealth armies. The present day armies of India and
Pakistan both make extensive use of waist-sashes for ceremonial wear. The
colours vary widely according to regiment or branch and match those of
the turbans where worn. Typically two or more colours are incorporated in the
sash, in vertical stripes. One end hangs loose at the side and may have an
ornamental fringe. The practice of wearing distinctive regimental sashes or
cummerbunds goes back to the late nineteenth century.
In addition to those detailed above, several other modern armies retain
waist-sashes for wear by officers in ceremonial uniforms. These include the
armies of Norway, Sweden, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The
Spanish Regulares retain their historic waist-sashes for all ranks in colours
that vary according to the unit. Until 1914 waist-sashes in distinctive
national colours were worn as a peace-time mark of rank by officers of
the Imperial German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian armies, amongst others.
Japanese officers continued the practice in full dress uniform until 1940.
Cross-belts resembling sashes are worn by Drum Majors in the Dutch, British and
some Commonwealth armies. These carry scrolls bearing the names of battle
honours. Modern civilian and cultural use
In the United States, the sash has picked up a more ceremonial and less
practical purpose. Sashes are used at higher education commencement
ceremonies, by high school homecoming parade nominees, in beauty pageants, as
well as by corporations to acknowledge high achievement.
In Canada, hand-woven sashes were derived from Iroquoiuan carrying belts
sometime in the 18th century. As a powerful multi-use tool this sash found
use in the fur trade which brought it into the North West. In this period the
weave got tighter and size expanded, with some examples more than four metres
in length. Coloured thread was widely used. Today it is considered to be
primarily a symbol of the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion Patriotes and the Métis
peoples. In Ireland, especially Northern Ireland,
the sash is a symbol of the Orange Order. Orange Order sashes were
originally of the ceremonial shoulder-to-hip variety as worn by the
British military. Over the 20th century the sash has been mostly replaced by
V-shaped collarettes, which are still generally referred to as sashes. The
item is celebrated in the song 'The Sash my Father Wore'.
Sashes are also worn by Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Beauty Pageant Participants.
Badges are sewn onto the sash, to indicate achievements of the Scout.
Many modern schools of Chinese martial arts use sashes of various colors to
denote rank as a reflection of the Japanese ranking system using belts.
The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata
together. Honorific orders
Sashes are indicative of holding the class of Grand Cross or Grand Cordon in
an Order of Chivalry or Order of Merit. The sash is usually worn from the right
shoulder to the left hip. A few orders do the contrary, according to their
traditional statute. = Orders with the sash worn on the left
shoulder = Europe :
Denmark : Order of the Elephant Iceland : Order of the Falcon
Kingdom of Serbia : Order of the White Eagle
United Kingdom : Order of the Garter United Kingdom : Order of the Thistle
Asia : South Korea : Grand Order of Mugunghwa
Thailand : Order of the Royal House of Chakri
Thailand : Order of Chula Chom Klao Thailand : Knight Grand Cordon on left
shoulder but Knight Grand Cross : right shoulder, for :
Order of the White Elephant Order of the Crown of Thailand
Malaysia : = Classified examples of current orders'
sash = See also
Presidential sash West Point Cadets' Sword
Order Phaleristics
References Bibliography