The 9th Bengal Light Cavalry was raised in May 1824 as the 1st Extra Regiment of Native Cavalry and renumbered as the 9th BLC in 1826. So their first uniform was French grey with orange facings and silver lace and braid. The style of uniform worn in the late 1820s positioned the three vertical rows of buttons so that the outer rows curved inwards at the shoulders. The lateral lines of silver braid connecting the buttons were wavy, a style that persisted through to c1840. The collar shows that the order for orange facings was sometimes interpreted as red, probably called dark orange. The pouch-belt is also silver laced and shows a dark orange central stripe and edges. The chains, pickers and plates were hallmarked silver. He has gold cord cap-lines coming over at his right shoulder and hooking onto his jacket on the left side. The ends of these cap lines were acorn types, developing later into flounders and tassels. There is an indication, just below his arm, of the silver embroidery on the body of the jacket. The back seams extending from the waist and curving out to the shoulders were decorated with elaborate braid figuring. This uniform was reserved for special occasions (and portraits), worn with a bell-top shako and dark blue trousers.
