Nicholson’s article on Tradition included these two lieutenants wearing the undress blue serge patrol (frock) in different ways. The right hand officer is in cold weather undress, dismounted, which has a white helmet and gold-laced overalls, with white gloves. The left hand officer is in mounted order, with gold-laced pantaloons and black butcher boots. He could wear the white helmet but the artist (Lt-Col J B R Nicholson) chose to show the pill-box forage cap, which is dark blue with a gold lace band and lancer-style welts crossing on top. The pill-box was permitted with any dress except the kurta or mess dress. He also has a brown leather Sam Browne belt and sword in a leather scabbard.
The patrol jacket was a dark blue serge garment, piped with light blue around the collar, up the back seams and the back of the sleeves, and the pointed cuffs. The piping on the back extended to the hem of the skirt. The left-hand officer has cloth shoulder straps which are light blue. The right-hand officer has shoulder chains placed on light blue cloth of similar shape to the chain-mail. Nicholson suggests that the shoulder chains in undress were a later development, some time before 1910.
