The Waistcoat

The waistcoat, a snug-fitting vest, was
an essential to the 18th century man.  
Vests were popular for many centuries
and were called doublets in Elizabethan
times, and wearing vests were popular
clear up to the turn of the 20th century,                       and were normally worn by most men until                 about WWI.

Waistcoats of the Revolutionary War
period were cut with their side seams
angled back, the front bottom was
turned away and rather shorter than
earlier in the century.  As with most other
articles of smallclothes, the waistcoat
was made either of wool, silk, cotton,
or linen and usually lined.  Wealthy
owners sometimes had richly
embellished and embroidered
waistcoats.  Some had pockets and
buttons down the front,  Others were made                  with  false pocket flaps and some even had                  no flaps or pockets at all.   Buttons were                      usually cloth-covered or thread-wrapped.

Bruce McNeal's  hand sewn
waistcoat of green cotton.  

The Georgia Refugees show two examples of waistcoats, brown wool
and white linen, on their unit's website.