Army Service Uniform - History - Uniform

Uniform

Source:

• 1774: Blue Continental Army coat, with state facing colors, and white waistcoat and breeches or overalls. (Historical Note/Ref: The origin of "blue" as the primary uniform color is earlier during the Colonial period of the Continental Association or First Continental Congress which met in Philadelphia, PA and adjourned on Oct 26, 1774.) George Washington was the appointed Presiding Officer.

While Washington was in Philadelphia, one hundred neighbors in Fairfax County (VA), under the tutelage of George Mason, had organized themselves into a voluntary militia—probably the first in the colony—electing Washington their commander. Borrowing the colors of the English Whig party, the Fairfax Independent Company wore blue uniforms with buff facings and white stockings.

Washington used Thomas Webb’s A Military Treatise on the Appointments of the Army as a guide for outfitting this particular unit. Washington would soon accept the additional field command of another four independent companies: in Prince William, Fauquier, Richmond, and Spotsylvania counties.

• 1782: Red facings only with branch of service white (infantry) or yellow (artillery) metal buttons.
• 1810: French uniform coat with cut-in skirt fastened in front; sleeved roundabout jacket for fatigue and field service.
• 1813: Uniform coat devoid of buttonhole lace and facing colors.
• 1821: Congressional confirmation of army wear of National Blue; practical gray wool pantaloons for the winter mud, a tradition of contrasting shades.
• 1829: Undress frock (full round skirt) coat in place of officer's civilian clothes.
• 1832: Branch of service cap insignia, gold or silver officer grade insignia on epaulettes and sky-blue trousers for all but staff and generals.
• 1835: Shoulder straps, used to hold fringed epaulettes, with undress, officer grade.
• 1851: French frock (full skirt) coat only uniform, trimmed in system of branch of service colors.
• 1854: New waist-length uniform jacket for mounted troops
• 1872: Blouse for garrison and field, uniform coat for dress, with epaulettes for generals.
• 1881: Dark blue flannel overshirt often in place of blouse on field service.
• 1885: Sky-blue kersey trousers, aniline dye richer shade than original vegetable dye.
• 1895: Officer's undress sack coat, with black trim; branch of service insignia and national cypher "U.S." on collar,with national eagle on cap.
• 1902: Olive drab wool and khaki cotton service uniforms introduced; blue retained only for dress, full dress, mess dress, and special evening dress, trimmed with branch of service color.
• 1917: wearing of blue dress, full dress and mess dress uniforms suspended.
• 1928: Return of pre-war blue dress uniforms with new visor cap, optional at expense of wearer.
• 1938: Officer's blue roll-collar coat adopted, with branch of service-color trim and dress belt (from full dress coat).
• 1940: No blue uniform required during Emergency (end of saber).
• 1947: President Harry S. Truman note on lack of dress uniform and return of pre-War pattern; evening dress uniform cuff with single gold lace and insignia of grade.
• 1953: Post-War officer and EM pattern with patch pockets; no traditional branch of service color trim on EM uniform and officer's trousers stripes.
• 1956: Distinctive uniform for bands and honor guards.
• 1957: Women's Army Blue uniform same cut as 1951 Taupe-121 uniform.
• 1959: Army Blue uniforms for year-round wear.
• 1962: Women's Army Blue same as Army Green uniform, with new service hat.
• 1963: Mandatory possession of Officer's Army Blue uniform.
• 1972: Officer's mess jacket cuff ornamentation simplified to resemble that of 1947 evening dress (grade insignia replaced branch insignia; single strand of gold lace replaced multiple ones which previously showed grade).
• 2012: All of U.S. Army to transition to blue service uniform.