Although they would have been worn earlier, cap and hat ribbons were an integral part of the dress of ratings by the 1840s. A portrait of the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) in his sailor suit (UNI0293 & UNI0294) shows him in a sennit hat with the edges of the ribbon just visible. An illustrated plate of the 1846 regulations shows a seaman in the background, his sennit hat, with a broad black ribbon around the crown, in his hand.

In 1857 cap ribbons became part of the regulated uniform for ratings. In the past, sailors painted the name of their ship and various devices on their hats and ribbons. This practice continued, as seen in this cap ribbon of 1852 where the name of the ship and its emblem has been painted and gilded. In 1868, new cap ribbons were introduced with the name of the ship woven into the ribbon using gold wire.