The gendarme's kepi

The kepi, introduced in 1861 and used by the army and the French national gendarmerie, replaces the shako, a truncated cone-shaped headgear with a visor. It is associated with the French as it is essentially worn in mainland France.

Its wearing has been in constant decline for about thirty years. It was abandoned by the national police in 1984 and by prison guards in 1940.

Summary:

• The composition of the kepi
• The postillion
• The forage cap

• The braid(D) is located above the elite braid, the color varies according to the gendarme's rank.

• The elite braid(E) is of different colors depending on the arm subdivision: silver for Departmental Gendarmes (GD), gold for Mobile Gendarmes (GM), scarlet and yellow for Republican Guards (GR) and royal blue for Volunteer Assistant Gendarmes (GAV).

• The chin strap(G) is stretched between two gold or silver uniform buttons on which the symbol of the Corps is engraved.

• The Grenade(F) is the symbol of elite troops. It is unique within the armies by its eight-flame representation, also following the colors of the subdivisions.

• The uprights(A) corresponding to the lines adorning the four corners of the kepi: one from the rank of Gendarme to that of Lieutenant, two for Captains and three for Senior Officers.

• The Hungarian knot(B) is simple and displayed from the rank of Adjutant. For Senior Officers, it is tripled. The color also varies according to the gendarme's subdivision.

• The ornamental braid(C) is identical to the rank braids.

• The interior is entirely lined with a transparent plastic sheet. It has a leather sweatband for officers and senior non-commissioned officers and a synthetic one for enlisted personnel and junior non-commissioned officers.

Note that the kepi ornaments are of different colors depending on affiliation:

• Silver color for departmental gendarmes;

• Gold color for mobile gendarmes;

• Scarlet-yellow color for republican guards;

• Royal blue color for volunteer assistant gendarmes.

Female personnel of the national gendarmerie do not wear the kepi, but a postillion or other hat of the same type.

This headgear has a headband and a raised edge in dark blue fabric. The rigidity of the crown is obtained by a plastic frame. This headgear has an interior lining like the kepi. On the front of the headband is vertically embroidered a grenade in gold or silver color depending on the arm subdivision.

The postillion of senior officers is adorned with a Hungarian knot with three strands, gold or silver 1.2 mm. That of junior officers and senior non-commissioned officers has a Hungarian knot with one strand, gold or silver, 3 mm wide.

A removable strip of dark blue fabric intended to support the braiding is placed on the outside of the base of the crown in order to receive the function braid and the gold or silver rank braids.

For senior officers, the braid measures 2.5 mm in width, for junior officers, 3 mm in width, as for the second lieutenant's braid, it measures 4 mm in width, just like that of majors, chief adjutants, adjutants and chief warrant officers.

For gendarmes, the braids are replaced by yellow, scarlet or blue loops as for gendarme kepis.

More practical than the kepi, the forage cap is the headgear most frequently worn by gendarme non-commissioned officers and volunteer assistant gendarmes. Formerly called police cap, the forage cap was preferred to the peaked cap from 2016. The forage cap is presented in the form of a cloth headgear with two points, without edges and without visor.

The background is dark blue Gendarmerie color while the headband and forage cap are black. The color of the piping and the flaming grenade allows to identify the gendarme's corps of affiliation. The silver color is reserved for the departmental gendarmerie while gold is reserved for mobile gendarmes and red for the Republican Guard.

Nowadays, the kepi and postillion are military headgear reserved for field, town or ceremonial uniforms while the forage cap is preferred for everyday service uniforms. Discover our selection of kepis, forage caps, and kepi holders.