It may be of interest that last week I saw the original colour of the first Battalion of the 1st Regiment Grenadiers de la Garde Imperiale in the Musee de l'Armee in Paris.
Although the red and blue had faded to a near white, the gold lettering and fringing was of such a high quality that it still retains its original shine and sparkle; not a single part had dulled or lost its lustre. I noted that the little bees had small metallic gold pieces actually stitched in. A revelation, and a salutary lesson to all of us.