Evolution of US Postal Service Uniforms

Mail delivery was becoming more commonplace in cities after the Civil War, and the Federal government had just won a costly victory in the battle over national identity and federal power. In 1868 Congress authorized postal workers to wear uniforms, and the result was astounding. Suddenly, postal workers were not merely civilians; they gained great respect.

In the 1920s, after several amendments in the uniform, after a debate about whether the exposed shirts should be made of blue chambray of gray poplin, a new badge was introduced. A bold eagle had engraved words, “U.S. Post Office,” giving serious and respectable energy to the signature piece of headwear. In the 30s and 40s, the Postal uniform looked similar to the uniform changes made in the military. Light, mild-weather sweater blouses were replaced with the famous cropped Eisenhower jacket or the later zip jacket. The zip jacket closely resembled a civilian windbreaker, which in turn, had been the model on which many army jackets had been based.

postal uniform shoesThe 1957 employee handbook for the USPS casually broke gender barriers when it offhandedly mentioned women would be working for the organization. Items of uniform for female employees are the same as for male employees except for the addition of a skirt. Within a few years, trousers and jackets with exclusive postal uniform shoes would be reworked to fit the new female members of the Postal Office better.

In the year 1971, some significant changes took place where postal workers had long worn the eagle on their helmets-badges, but their shirts had featured the above patch with a horse. When the Post Office Department was officially named the U.S. Postal Service, a new patch came into existence: the eagle above the words “U.S. Mail.” Carriers were allowed to wear shorts for the first time in ’71 and permitted to omit the headwear, as long as the rest of the uniform was up to snuff.

The Postal uniform has changed greatly over the ages, keeping up with varied climates and societal changes. While letter-carriers have been forced to choose one style for each of their garments to remain consistent with their peers in the same city, they have had a huge range of uniform products to choose from over the years. You can get the uniforms from websites and stores that specialize in these uniforms.

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