US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

[JEBminnesota]

In the reenacting world a lot of officers say that you have to wear dark blue trousers becuase thats what regulations say but when I look at photos at US officers I find that most of your junior officers and some of your senior officers are wearing sky blue trousers. The generals and staff officers are mostly wearing the dark blue trousers.
I know that their was a sky blue trousers with blue piping that ran along the seem but I can see officers wearing regular usued Sky blue trousers.

So what should a US officer wear for trousers?

Thank you

Joe Beedle
2nd Minn.

[JerseySkilletLicker]

Re: US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

Joe,
Officers were required to purchase their own uniforms out of the pay they received. The spectrum runs from the outlandish attire of Custer ("Looks like a circus rider gone mad") to the newly minted jr. officers on campaign who had to make due with what was available at the time until they could "upgrade".
Fashion sense was a great dictator for what they would aquire as is evidenced by the wealth of different style hats and jackets that are seen in pictures and in collections. As far as trousers go, a line officer, on campaign, could opt for dark or kersey blue trousers, cut in a manner befitting private purchase (not enlisted foot trousers).
Again, we are talking about being on campaign here and not a formal "dress occasion".

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

In the reenacting world a lot of officers say that you have to wear dark blue trousers becuase thats what regulations say but when I look at photos at US officers I find that most of your junior officers and some of your senior officers are wearing sky blue trousers. The generals and staff officers are mostly wearing the dark blue trousers.
I know that their was a sky blue trousers with blue piping that ran along the seem but I can see officers wearing regular usued Sky blue trousers.

So what should a US officer wear for trousers?

Thank you

Joe Beedle
2nd Minn.

Joe -

Although I believe you've answered your own question. Use the "Search" function on these forums and you'll find plenty of references to this discussion in the past with good documentary evidence.

Good luck.

[theknapsack]

Re: US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

Here is what the Revised 1861 Regulations (1862) state:

TROWSERS

1468. For General Officers and Officers of the Ordnance Department--of dark blue cloth, plain, without stripe, welt, or cord down the outer seam.
1469. For Officers of the General Staff and Staff Corps, except the Ordnance--dark blue cloth, with a gold cord, one-eighth of an inch in diameter, along the outer seam.
1470. For all Regimental Officers--dark blue cloth, with a welt let into the outer seam, one-eighth of an inch in diameter, of colors corresponding to the facings of the respective regiments, viz.: Cavalry, yellow; Artillery, scarlet; Infantry, sky-blue.

I agree with Mr. Weddle you can use the search function as well.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1138&highlight=Officer+Trowsers

[1stMaine]

Re: US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

Comrade,

To add to what Joe has posted, the idea that officers "have" to wear dark blue trousers is a reenactorism. It is true that many a volunteer officer of a newly raised regiment would opt for dark blue, because in many a case he was emulating what he percieved to be the style of the US Regulars. Volunteer officers, despite all the hoopla about volunteers being more "American" than those weedy Regulars, still realised the professional qualities of the regular officer, and were not above trying to be "mistaken" for one, rather than their "volunteer" status.
Early illustrations showed the Regulars in dark blue trousers, especially the officers, and so, without taking a gander at much of the regulations, they became quite the rage.
Interestingly enough, however, is the fact that many many images of regulars in the field show the officers with sky blue trousers. That's what the regulations changed to, and so the regulars set the standard by adopting them as they were able to do.
Now, as Joe points out, an officer had to purchase all his stuff, either through a civilian outfitter/tailor/etc or through the Quartermaster. Regulations allowed for an officer on campaign to purchase enlisted men's trousers, and many an officer did, especially as they were relatively inexpensive, much easier to get a hold of rather than through the mail, and were easily replaceable if needs be.
HOWEVER....and this is important, there was not only a great deal of lattitude given to the officer regarding his clothing (basically, as long as it more or less conformed to regulations, it was acceptable...technically...) but in many a case, what was acceptable was dictated by the Colonel, and even sometimes by the Brigade Commander (think John Gibbons here, Iron Brigade, et al). If the Colnel wanted his officers in dress coats, dark blue trousers, and kepis, then by tarnation, they'd better all find them and appear accordingly.
Some Colonels were more interested in the functionality of their staff and officers, and so allowed then Officers to dress as they pleased. It's really an issue that has a great deal of caveats, if's and's and but's, and one that needs a bit of thought.
Personally, I prefer dark blue trousers as an officer, solely for function's sake. The dark blue hides dirt and stains much easier than the sky blue, and thus I can appear a little cleaner for a little longer.
I also prefer a commercial blouse over a dress coat for similar reasons. It's much more comfortable, and it has pockets that I can put ti good use. BTW..there's a good tip.. don't bother with a pistol cartridge box either. Very few show up in images of officers. Put a packet of cartridges in your coat pocket. That's what was actually done, and it saves you an outlay for an item you really don't need.
But I digress.... if you want to wear dark blue, then make certain they have the proper welting of branch color. A welt, not a stripe. Sky blue should also have a welt, if they are commercially made, but if they are enlisted, then don't sweat it.
respects,

[JEBminnesota]

Re: US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

Thank you Gentlemen,
You knowledge is greatly appreciated.
Sorry for repeating old topics.


Joe Beedle

[smithjub]

Fabric for sky blue officers trousers???

I didn't want to open a different thread with this, so I'm tacking it on to the end of this.

On the subject of sky blue officer's trousers, I'm wondering what type of wool would have been used. I see that they would have been made differently than enlisted trousers, ie. fitted to the individual and with a welt, but would they have been made of the standard sky blue wool used in enlisted trousers? If not, is there a provider of proper sky blue wool for officer's trousers?

Thanks in advance.

[DougCooper]

Re: US Officer; Dark blue or sky blue trousers?

Jared - in speaking with some of the top makers as well as looking at originals, you find kersey, satinet and broadcloth officer trousers, from the finest English imported wool to standard federal issue sky blue kersey. Colors varied as well, from dark blue to french blue to sky blue. Sometimes you will see event guidelines specify sky or dark blue for officers either based on the desires of the Col commanding (uniformity - just as Tim says above) or an attempt to match a very early war impression, though as the folks above have noted, the early war "must be dark blue" is a guideline/suggestion vice absolute truth.