Editing Order of the Garter (section)

====Order's ceremonial occasions====

For the Order's ceremonial occasions, such as the annual Garter Day, the members wear elaborate [[vestment]]s and [[accoutrements]], which include:
*The ''mantle'' is a vestment or robe worn by members since the 15th century. Once made of wool, by the 16th century it was made of [[velvet]]. The mantle was originally purple, but varied during the 17th and 18th centuries between [[celestial blue]], pale blue, royal blue, dark blue, violet, and [[ultramarine]]. Mantles are now dark blue and lined with white [[taffeta]]. The mantles of the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and Royal Knights and Ladies end in [[Train (clothing)|trains]]. The [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|heraldic shield]] of [[St George's Cross]] encircled by the Garter is sewn onto the left shoulder of the mantle, but the Sovereign's mantle instead has the star of the Order. Attached to the mantle over the right shoulder are a dark red velvet hood and [[surcoat]], which have lost all function over time and appear to the modern observer simply as a splash of colour.<ref name="HN">{{Cite journal |last=Cox |first=Noel |year=1999 |journal=Heraldry News, the Journal of Heraldry |title=The ceremonial dress and accoutrements of the Most Noble Order of the Garter |issue=22 |pages=6–12 |publisher=Journal of Heraldry Australia Inc. |url=http://www.geocities.com/noelcox/Garter_Dress.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030420201952/http://www.geocities.com/noelcox/Garter_Dress.htm |archive-date=20 April 2003}}</ref>
*The ''hat'' is a [[Tudor bonnet]] of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers.<ref name="HN" />
*The ''[[Livery collar|collar]]'' is worn around the neck, over the mantle and is secured with white ribbons tied in bows on the shoulders. Like the mantle, it was introduced in the 15th and 16th centuries. Made of pure gold, it weighs {{convert|30|ozt|kg|sigfig=3|lk=in}}. The collar is composed of gold [[heraldic knot]]s alternating with [[Vitreous enamel|enamelled]] medallions, each showing a rose encircled by the Garter. During the reign of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] (1485–1509), commencing at the termination of the [[Wars of the Roses]], each garter surrounded two roses – one red for the [[House of Lancaster]] and one white for the [[House of York]] – but he changed the design to encircle the Tudor rose<ref name="HN" /> alone, a combination of both forms.{{efn|See for example the single roses on the collar of the effigy of [[Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke]], KG (died 1502) in Callington Church, Cornwall (see image [[:File:RobertWilloughbyCallington.jpg]]).}} Today one of the most visible representations of the collar forms part of the monarch's [[heraldic achievement]] on the gates of [[Buckingham Palace]].{{efn|See image [[:File:Buckingham Palace - 02.jpg]].}}
*{{anchor|Great George}}The ''Great George'', which is worn suspended from the collar, is a colourfully enamelled (sometimes jewelled) three-dimensional figure of [[Saint George|St George the Martyr]] on horseback slaying a dragon.<ref name="HN" />
[[File:Hosenbandorden.jpg|thumb|left|The insignia of a knight/lady companion of the Order of the Garter]]
*The ''[[Garter (clothing)|Garter]]'' is worn on ceremonial occasions around the left calf{{efn|The Garter is worn over and above the left strap of the dress breeches of men but nowadays it is anachronistically worn over the trousers because the wearing of court dress by most Garter knights has fallen into disuse.}} by knights and around the left arm by ladies, and is depicted on several insignia. The Garter is a buckled dark-blue (originally light-blue) velvet strap, and bears the motto in gold letters. The garters of Stranger Knights and Ladies were once set with several jewels.<ref name="HN" /> Two styles have been used: one is a working garter where the end slips through the [[buckle]], passed behind, and then is tucked down through the formed loop, as it is shown in the arms of the order, and the other style is a 'pre-made' one that has the buckled and tucked end pre-fashioned and is fastened with a clip attachment.

Up until the middle part of the 20th century, it was customary to wear [[Tudor period|Tudor style]] under-dress, consisting of white silk embroidered [[Doublet (clothing)|doublet]], [[breeches]], [[full hose]], white doeskin [[Court shoe|pumps]] with satin bows and a sword belt with sword, under the robes. Nowadays, morning dress or a [[lounge suit]] is worn, except for coronations when Tudor [[under-dress]] is worn by the canopy-bearers.<ref>{{cite book|author=Una Campbell|year=1989|title=Robes of the Realm: 300 Years of Ceremonial Dress|publisher=Michael O'Mara Books|page=21}}</ref>