A is a tall cylindrical hat, sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with some kind of ornament or Badge on the front, metallic or otherwise, and often has a feather or plume attached at the top. The word "shako" originated from the Hungarian name ''csákó'' of the described hat, which was a part of the uniform of Hungarian Hussar s.
From 1800 on the shako became the standard military headress of most regiments in nearly all armies. It retained this dominant position until the mid-nineteenth century when spiked helmets began to appear in the armies of various German states and the more practical Kepi replaced it for all but parade wear in the French Army . The shako was however still being worn by French Chasseurs à Cheval and Hussar s; German Jagers, Landwehr and Marines; Austro-Hungarian Infantry and Hussars; Russian Imperial Guard Infantry and Artillery; Romanian Artillery, Italian Horse Artillery, and Spanish Infantry, Engineers and Artillery as late as 1914. The Highland Light Infantry and Scottish Rifles of the British Army retained shakos for parade dress until World War I and the Swiss and Dutch armies were wearing shakos even for field wear until 1916.
Shakos are still worn as full dress headdresses by West Point cadets, the infantry of the French Republican Guard and cadets at Saint-Cyr, the Italian Horse Guards Corps and cadets at the Military Academy of Modena, the Hussars of the Danish Royal Guards and the Spanish Royal Guard . Various Latin America n armies retain them for ceremonial guard or military academy uniforms. In Russian they are used by the Kremlin Guards for ceremonial occasions. In the United States they are frequently worn by civilian Marching Bands and drum corps. In India , the Madras Sapper s, a Regiment (aka Madras Sappers & Miners, Madras Engineer Group) almost 300 years old also wears a dark blue visor-less Shakos as part of their Ceremonial Uniform .
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