Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and early 17th centuries, sometimes of gold set with gemstones or enameled, are generally called "aiglets", "aglets" or "points".[2][3]: 97
In modern usage, an "aiguillette" is an ornamental braided cord with decorative metal tips worn on uniforms or as part of other costumes such as academic dress,[1] where it will denote an honour. This usage of "aiguillette" derives from lacing used to fasten plate armor together. As such, a knot or loop arrangement was used which sometimes hung from the shoulder.
These aiguillettes should not be confused with lanyards, which are cords also worn from the shoulder (or around the neck), but do not have the pointed aiguillette tips and are usually of fibre rather than gold or silver wire, and often not braided.
The modern aglet or shoelace tip and the decorative tips on bolo ties are types of aiguillettes.
Surviving 16th or 17th-century copper-alloy lace tag found in London.
Hat and gown trimmed with pairs of aiglets, 1538
Gowns decorated with gold aiglets, 1559
Rose ribbons tipped with large aiglets set with pearls, c. 1560s
Surviving lace tag, ca. 1500–1700, found in Lincolnshire
Other military cords[edit]
The aiguillette should not be confused with the fourragère, which is worn by soldiers and Marines who are assigned to units that were awarded certain decorations by the French and Belgian governments for valorous conduct in the First and Second World Wars.
Nor should it be confused with the Schützenschnur, a multi-weapon marksmanship decoration awarded by Germany to qualifying soldiers of NATO countries serving in Germany.
A similar, albeit thicker, device, the Infantry Shoulder Cord, is worn on the right shoulder by all enlisted soldiers and officers in the United States Army whose primary Military Occupational Specialty is infantry.
Many military units wear dress lanyards.