Epaulets began as simple shoulder straps in 17th-century Europe, designed to keep belts, sashes, and sword straps from sliding off during battle. 

By the 18th century, the French military had turned them into decorative, fringed ornaments, with style and color showing a soldier’s rank. Napoleon’s armies cemented their place in military fashion, and today they remain on ceremonial uniforms, airline pilots, and dress coats... a stylish echo of their practical past.