In addition to brown, blue and gray were popular colors. A typical uniform for an American soldier included a wool coat with a collar and cuffs, a hat that was generally turned up on the side, a cotton or linen shirt, a vest, breeches, and leather shoes. The British soldiers were often called the "Red Coats" because of their bright red coats.

Revolutionary War uniforms prior to 1779 varied greatly. Early in the war, many American soldiers wore long, brown coats. Starting in 1779, George Washington ordered that uniforms for soldiers in the Continental Army consist of blue coats, white waistcoats and facings of varying colors. Each state regiment in the Continental army had different colors for the linings, buttons and facings: