From the "Rule of the Templars"
We command that all the brothers' habits should always be of one colour, that is white or black or brown. And we grant to all knight brothers in winter and in summer if possible, white cloaks; and no-one who does not belong to the aforementioned Knights of Christ is allowed to have a white cloak, so that those who have abandoned the life of darkness will recognise each other as being reconciled to their creator by the sign of the white habits: which signifies purity and complete chastity.
We utterly forbid any brother to have gold or silver on his bridle, nor on his stirrups, nor on his spurs. That is, if he buys them; but if it happens that a harness is given to him in charity which is so old that the gold or silver is tarnished, that the resplendent beauty is not seen by others nor pride taken in them: then he may have them. But if he is given new equipment let the Master deal with it as he sees fit.
By common counsel of all the chapter we forbid and order expulsion, for common vice, of anyone who without discretion was in the house of God and of the Knights of the Temple; also that the sergeants and squires should not have white habits, from which custom great harm used to come to the house; for in the regions beyond the mountains false brothers, married men and others who said they were brothers of the Temple used to be sworn in; while they were of the world. They brought so much shame to us and harm to the Order of Knighthood that even their squires boasted of it; for this reason numerous scandals arose. Therefore let them assiduously be given black robes; but if these cannot be found, they should be given what is available in that province; or what is the least expensive, that is burell.
Several period accounts describe the Templars as having beards and this had several distinctions. The fashion in Europe and that adopted by secular knights in the holy land was clean shaven and longer hair. So what better way to stand out fromthe crowd. To, the "manly fashion" in the middle east was to have a beard. The more beard, the more man. So their foes looked upon them with some respect. And, shaving would be succumbing to the sin of vanity or vain pride. For an order that was proud (lol) of its oath of poverty and simplicity, the act of shaving was outside of this.
While the Templars (Order of the knights of the Temple of Soloman) used the white surcoat, the knights of the Order of St. John or the Hospitallers used the black surcoat and white cross until 1270-75 when they adopted the red surcoat with white cross. I think Sergeants still used the black with white after that.
Order of Santiago was a spanish order that used the white mantle with the symbol of a cross of Saint James, which was a red cross fleury terminating in a sword. Heraldicly a cross fleury fitchy being a cross with fleur de lys on the ends and the lower portion being pointed like a sword.
