In keeping with the international tradition, hussar regiments were the fanciest troopers in the Prussian army. Nor did they allow any nation to get ahead of them when it came to fancy hussar garb. Among the few concessions made to practicality was the abandonment of the pelisse by all units of that arm but the Guard Hussar, the 3rd and the 15th regiments. It is true that the busby was shorter than in the elite companies of the 1st French Empire – or indeed of the troopers of Frederick the Great's hussars, but it sufficed to hang a fancy bag and a scroll of engraved metal, while the dolman tape and fancy shabraque set a standard for sartorial excellence rarely to be rivaled by even the mounted parades of other nations.

To start at the top, the short busby was of seal-skin, surmounted by a cockade of national color above which commonly waved a white plume. On the front, the Guard Hussars had a gold guard star, the 1st to 16th regiments had a scroll of the button color inscribed "Mitt Gott Fur Konig Und Vaterland". The Lieb Hussars had a white metal skull and crossbones centered on their busby.

Girdles: black and white fur.
Pantaloons: Dark blue cloth with a narrow stripe down the side-seam in the regimental lace color.
Forage Caps: Issued in the shabraque color, piping around the band and the top in lace color. .(Although most will prefer to represent hussars in full regalia, including busby, this is an option.)
Boots: Hessian pattern, trimmed along the top in regimental lace color.
Pelisse: Worn only by the Guard Hussars, 3rd and 15th regiments. The Guard had a dark blue pelisse with white fur, the 3rd Regiment had a white pelisse trimmed with black fur, the 15th Regiment had a black pelisse trimmed with black fur. Lace on the pelisse was in the regimental color.
Shabraque: The basic color is given in the following table of regimental colors. However, from various illustrations, it would appear that the space between the inverted lace "wolf's tooth" trim the shabraque was in the cap-band color where that was different from the basic shabraque color.

The piping and regimental number on the grey overcoat was normally the same color as the tunic (or dolman.)

German Hussar Regimental Colors
Regiment	Tunic, Cap, Greatcoat straps and Shabraque	Cap Band	Lace, Buttons, Cap/Shabraque Piping
Guard Hussar	scarlet (dark blue shabraque)	dark blue	yellow
1st Hussars	black	scarlet	white
2nd Hussars	black	black	white
3rd Hussars	scarlet (dark blue shabraque/greatcoat straps)	scarlet	white
4th Hussars	brown	brown	yellow
5th Hussars	crimson	black	white
6th Hussars	green	scarlet	yellow
7th Hussars	dark blue	scarlet	yellow
8th Hussars	dark blue	light blue	white
9th Hussars	light blue	light blue	yellow
10th Hussars	green	purple	yellow
11th Hussars	green	scarlet	white
12th Hussars	light blue	light blue	white
13th Hussars	light blue	scarlet	white
14th Hussars	dark blue	scarlet	white
15th Hussars	dark blue	yellow	white
16th Hussars	light blue	yellow	white

In 1866-71 the hussars carried a curved light cavalry saber of the same pattern as the dragoons (who were also light cavalry.) Scabbards shown both as metal and inlaid leather. The carbine, a short form of the needle-gun, was slung in the right side with a white sling. The cartridge box was black.

Trumpeters were distinguished chiefly by a swallow's nest, apparently of the cap color, trimmed in the regimental tape color.

Prussian Hussar Regimental Colors
Regiment	Busby Bag	Greatcoat Collar Patch, outer border of Shabraque
Guard Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
1st Husars	scarlet	scarlet
2nd Hussars	black	black
3rd Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
4th Hussars	yellow	yellow
5th Hussars	crimson	crimson/w/black border on Shabraque
6th Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
7th Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
8th Hussars	light blue	light blue
9th Hussars	light blue	light blue
10th Hussars	purple	purple
11th Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
12th Hussars	white	light blue
13th Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
14th Hussars	scarlet	scarlet
15th Hussars	yellow	yellow
16th Hussars	yellow	yellow

More Prussian Cavalry 1870-71

Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Uhlans
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Cuirassiers
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Hussars
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Dragoons
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Illustrations (50K)