The insignia of the Equestrian Order is easily recognizable the world over. The use by the Order of the blood-red Jerusalem cross of the early Crusaders has been continual since its adoption by Godfrey de Bouillon in A.D. 1071. It is visible insignia of the order, marking it in a special, historic way. The mantle of the Order, revived by Pius X, is the oldest link to the Crusaders, who originally adopted a creamy white woolen cape marked by a large red Jerusalem cross on the left breast. In 1888, a black silken mantle, with the red Jerusalem cross emblazoned in the same fashion, was adopted for the newly accepted women with the title Lady. The collar is of black velvet, and a mantilla of fine, long black lace in the Vatican and Spanish mode completes the official garb for the Ladies of the order.The Jerusalem cross predates Godfrey's adoption of it; in fact, it can be traced to Charlemagne in the year 800. "It consists of five red and gold trimmed crosses, with a gallow cross in the center, inset at the intersections with four small Greek crosses, representing the five wounds of Christ."

The mantle of knights in modern times varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; some are shorter than others, and some are bound differently than others, yet in style they are fundamentally the same: white for purity of intent in serving the Church; and the Jerusalem cross, red for the blood shed in former times by knights of the order in defense of the Faith and for a reminder that we are all called to the shedding of our blood for the defense of that Faith.

The knights make use of a chapeau as well. In all of Europe, except Spain, the chapeau is an extended military-style beret-black velvet and marked by the Jerusalem cross on the brow. In Spain, an ancient black biretta with white ostrich plumes is still in use. In the United States, some Lieutenancies make use of the black beret, whereas others do not, but protocol requires it to complete the official regalia of the order.

The vesture of the Order also includes a uniform that is not seen much today but that still makes up a part of the Order's official vesture. It is no longer obligatory but is nevertheless utilized by many jurisdictions of the Order worldwide. The uniform is of white broadcloth, cut in the Napoleonic style of the nineteenth-century diplomatic habit, similar to those of the Orders of the Holy See. The collars, cuffs, and facings are in rich black velvet, with embroideries and epaulets in thinly woven gold thread. The epaulets have the Jerusalem cross insignia worked into them, as do the buttons. The black velvet facings, or breast front, are embroidered more richly for the higher degree or rank of the members. The motif is of gold intertwined palm leaves, reminiscent of the palm used at Palm Sunday and Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. That same motif is worked onto the white broad cloth on the borders of the tallcoat, on the lower back region, and on the black-velvet cuff. The trousers are white, with gold military stripes on the outside. The uniform is completed by a sword, engraved with the Jerusalem cross in red enamel and gold, and the chapeau. The chapeau used with the uniform is the same as that of the papal orders in design; a black-velvet eighteenth-century naval ceremonial hat with white plumes and the red Jerusalem cross. The soft beret is worn only with mantle when vested in civilian or formal attire but never with the uniform.

The insignia of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre has always remained simple, yet consistent, after 1847, with the other Orders of the Holy See. The Jerusalem cross is the main theme, always worked in red enamel and trimmed with real gold. For gentlemen, the cross is suspended from a gold military trophy comprising an armor breastplate including a smaller red Jerusalem cross, helmet, plumes, and four unfurled banners on each side-all worked in gold. From the top of the helmet's plumes is a ring, on which the insignia is suspended from a black watered-silk ribbon. For Ladies, the cross suspends from a bow worked in red enamel, on which the insignia is suspended from a black watered-silk ribbon.