Mira & Tony: thanks for the comments. Of course, a boat-cloak was for using, mainly, in a boat, rather than a ship. Doh! Or at least, when you are relatively inactive.
Sylvia:
Garters were used to keep up stockings. I don't know what the garters were made of since elastic hadn't been invented. Stockings were knitted in 'stocking stitch' (that is, alternate knit and purl rows) but the last few rows at the top were knitted in plain knit stitch, still known in English as 'garter stitch'. This helped to keep the stocking from slipping underneath the garter. Breeches were tapered or gathered into a band at the knee and had buckles or buttons as fasteners. The garters and stocking tops were concealed under this. Nelson's stockings in the NMM look long enough to reach to mid thigh. I'm sure I have read somewhere, and would be grateful for the reference, that Nelson had difficulty keeping his stockings up - maybe because his legs were thin!
Incidentally, it was Beau Brummell, in Regency times, who introduced the fashion for full-length trousers and thereby avoided the risk of the 'Norah Batty' look.
One of the functions of uniform is, I suppose, to establish 'command presence'. But you can manage without it, as is shown in this anecdote, from Edward Giffard's 'Deeds of Naval Daring' .
Captain (later Admiral) Plumridge, of HMS Magicienne, was alerted to the smell of fire by the ship's corporal. They were many hundreds of miles from land.
QUOTE:
'Without staying to dress himself, the captain jumped on deck, coolly gave the orders to sound the fire-roll and beat to quarters...and sent a hand aloft to see if he saw a ship to leeward. On his answering in the negative, the captain replied, 'You do, sir; I can see her'. Then turning round to the man at the helm, 'Do you see that ship, sir?'. The poor fellow, afraid to say no, answered in the affirmative. 'Then put the helm up and keep towards her.'
To cut a long story short, under Captain Plumridge's fierce command, but with the apparent hope of rescue afforded by the captain's imaginary ship, the fire was dealt with in an exemplary manner.
'The piercing eye of the captain was upon them, who, in his bedgown, walked the deck with his arms folded; his step as firm and features as composed as if he had been parading the quarter-deck of the guardship in Portsmouth Harbour.'
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