Is the vest worn under the frock coat in a standard blue uniform?
From what one of the vendors was saying, all officers wore their vest under their coats/frocks. Would the USSS have had a green vest, or just a standard blue one?
DM
Vests were an optional item. Regulations stated they could be sky or dark blue, but there were a lot of exceptions. You could find a high-collar "military" vests as well as shawl collar civilian style vests being worn - usually based on the wearer's choice or what could be acquired.
No one really knows if the USSS officers wore a blue vest or a green vest, and the general view that I've heard expressed is that both blue colors and green were worn. If you go with a green vest with the green coat, you can't go wrong, but you could equally wear the other colors. I have a dark blue vest and saw no reason to get a green one for the few times I wear my USSS officer's unifrom.
You should be aware that due to the quality of the photographs taken in the 1860s, its hard to distinquish whether the wearer is wearing green or blue, and the various diaries, letters, and descriptions left by the Sharpshooters indicate that they wore blue just about as much as they wore green. Often they wore blue because the green wore out and there was only blue uniforms to replace them. There is a lot of discussion concerning whether they wore green sackcoats in the field (most think they wore blue), so I would say that you can probably wear blue or green at your discretion.
By the way, I got both my enlisted and officer's uniforms from Memories Past in Gettysburg, PA. They also have the correct black buttons - which adds a nice touch against the green. I also wouldn't hesitate to purchase one from the Quartermaster Shop who has made several uniforms for me over the years.
Nancy A Lare
Manager/Owner
Memories Past Historical Outfitter's
nlare@memoriespast.net
800-438-8971
US Scout
Bvt Brig Gen, GAF