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The U.S. mail started delivery in large cities in 1863 but no official

postal uniforms

were worn until after July 27, 1868 when Congress passed legislation for letter carriers to wear official uniforms. On October 31, 1868, Postmaster General Alexander W. Randall issued an order that letter carriers were to wear a uniform while on duty.

The uniform consisted of a jacket, pants, vest, cap and reversible cape in Cadet Gray (blue gray) broadcloth with black trim made of Alpaca wool. Each jacket had brass buttons that fastened up the front to the neck and the seal of the U.S. Mail department on the jacket. The measurements for the coat were very specific–extending 2/3rds the distance from the top of the hip-bone to the knee. There were two pockets on each side and a single pocket on the left breast, all placed on the outside of the jacket.

The pants had a black stripe down each leg. The vest was single-breasted with seven oval brass buttons with the letters, “P.O.” on the face of each button. The cap was the same material and color with had buttons at the sides and had a glazed cover for wet weather. The reversible cape detachable to the coat had material on one side and “gutta percha”–a latex waterproofing material for wet weather–on the opposite side.

Over the centuries, the same Cadet gray color with black trim has continued to follow tradition in postal uniforms. While different materials are used from season to season, the tradition of color remains.