Swiss Guard Debuted New ‘Formal Uniform’ While Keeping Renaissance-Era Attire

Lieutenant Colonel Loic Marc Rossier, left, and Captain Lorenz Keusch pose for reporters as they present the Swiss Guard Mezza-Gala uniform in the Swiss Guard Barracks at the Vatican, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

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The Pontifical Swiss Guard will continue to wear the colorful Renaissance-style ceremonial uniforms while present within Vatican City, but it has unveiled a new formal uniform for non-ceremonial events, including diplomatic receptions, official dinners, embassy parties, and other occasions that take place outside of the world’s smallest nation.

The keyword is still “formal,” so it isn’t camouflage, olive drab, or anything that looks like it would be ready for a modern battlefield.

Instead, as with many European formal uniforms, it evokes what soldiers of the 19th century commonly wore, both on the parade ground and in combat. It is also an update of the formal uniform worn by the Swiss Guard until 1976, when guard members began to don non-uniform suits to formal events outside the walls of Vatican City.

Col. Christoph Graf, the commander of Swiss Guards, was spotted wearing the new uniform at a presentation ceremony at the unit’s barracks last Saturday ahead of a swearing-in ceremony of 27 recruits.

Blast From The Past

The new uniform consists of a black wool jacket with two rows of buttons with a mandarin/band collar, matching trousers with a yellow stripe on the outside pant leg, a yellow and white belt with a chrome buckle, and a shako similar to the type worn by the Swiss Guard in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The return of the non-ceremonial formal uniform was meant to allow Swiss Guard officials to be readily distinguished as a military corps.

The introduction of the new formal military attire is actually the second time in the 21st century that the Swiss Guard has attempted to return to wearing a formal uniform outside of Vatican City. An attempt was made around a decade ago, but it wasn’t met with a positive response, ABC News reported.

The new update may be received better, as it attempts to evoke elements from the past with some sleek 21st-century improvements.

At least for now, the new formal uniform will only be worn by senior ranks, and each will cost around 2,000 Euros, roughly $2,300. The guardsmen won’t have to foot the bill, however. According to Vatican officials, an anonymous benefactor has covered the cost of the new uniforms, which are now being introduced.

The Oldest Standing Army

The Swiss Guard has the distinction of being the oldest standing army in the world, being founded by Pope Giulio II in 1506, after the pontiff was impressed by the bravery of Swiss mercenaries and requested that they guard the Vatican. For more than 500 years, historically neutral Switzerland has supplied soldiers for the Swiss Guard.

The last “major action” that the unit saw was on May 6, 1527, when troops from the Holy Roman Empire, who were unpaid and in a state of mutiny, carried out a sack of the Eternal City. The Swiss Guard safely escorted the Pope to safety via a secret passage, with 147 members falling in battle and only 42 surviving.

The Swiss Guard’s desperate defense of the Vatican has been seen as a defining act of bravery and sacrifice. As such, each May 6 is typically when new recruits are sworn in.

Although its now iconic full dress uniform, with its black or silver “morion” style helmet, is inspired by 16th-century depictions of the Swiss Guard, it was only introduced by then-Commandant Jules Repond in 1914. The colors blue and yellow have been in use since the 16th century, however, and were said to be chosen to represent the Della Rovere coat of arms of Julius II, while the red was added to represent the Medici coat of arms of Pope Leo X.

In 2019, the Swiss Guard replaced its traditional metal helmets with a new 3D printed version.