It depended on the year. Like any army of the era, the economy of supplying the soldiers plagued the Continental army. State armies had different supply chains as well. Most European armies subcontracted throughout the country for cloth suppliers and tailors. The British woolen industry picked up in the middle of the 18th century and did export to the colonies. By the outbreak of the war, the colonies had few woolen shops. Virginia had a growing cloth industry and later on became a supplier for the army, shipping yards and yards of wool to regiments. Armies used wool as the standard cloth since at least the early part of the century. Durable, inexpensive, and good in the cold weather.

The Regimental clothier would receive the bolts of cloth and then have them distributed to the regiments - particularly to the regiments' quartermaster and tailors. Each state had to fend for themselves and had regional different struggles. Outfitting an army costs a lot of money and with thousands of soldiers to clothe, they cant's take individual measurements like one would at a Brooks Brothers or some similar suit shop. It would take years for tailors to do that, and the war might be over by then! Can't keep the men without clothes now. The British made a system of creating patterned clothes in three sizes: small, medium, large. Roughly, at least. The suits of clothes are roughly put together and held mostly with basting stitches so that regimental tailors can fit them to the men as best as possibly after receiving the cases of clothes.

This receipt is for a state regiment in NC but you can see somewhat of a pattern on delivery.

Philadelphia, October 18th, 1776.

Invoice of Sundry Packages of Clothing sent by Mease and Caldwell per order of the Honble Delegates from North Carolina for the use of the Army there, addressed to the Council of Safety of North Carolina at Halifax.

Per —— Wagon.

No 1. A case containing 320 Privates' Coats, Mixt Cloth faced with Red.No 2. A case containing 320 Privates' Coats, Drab, faced with Blue.No 4. A case containing 264 Privates' Coats, Brown, faced with White; 32 Serjeants' Coats, Brown, faced with White; 16 Drums & Fifes, White, faced with Brown.

Per Michael Truby's Wagon.

No 3. A case containing 240 Privates' Coats, Drab Cloth, faced with Blue; 32 Sergeants' Coats, Drab, faced with Blue; 16 Drums & Fifes, Blue, faced with Drab.No 5. A case containing 312 Privates' Coats, Brown, faced with White.No 11. A case containing 240 pairs Drilling Breeches.

Per James Cartwright's Wagon.

No 6. A case containing 280 Privates' Coates, Drab Cloth, faced with Red.No 8. A case containing 296 Privates' Coats, Brown, faced with Red.No 10. A case containing 266 Pairs Drilling Breeches.

Per Anthony Hinckle's Wagon.

No 7. A case containing 131 Privates' Coats, Drab Cloth, faced with Red; 154 Privates' Coats, Brown, faced with Red. No 9. A case containing 240 Privates' Coats, Mixt, faced with Red; 21 Serjeans' Coats, Brown, faced with Red; 5 Privates' Coats, Brown, faced Red.No 12. A case containing 500 Stout Oznaburgh Shirts.

———

Messrs Hewes, Hooper and Penn Esqrs North Carolina Delegates

Some Continental units did receive the French "lottery" coats in 1778 and 1779, but not all. Commanders had to find supply of clothing and especially in hard winters, soldiers needed these clothes to keep them warm. Uniforms did not last more than a year as campaigns would bring wear and tear on them. It also helped with morale to have a neat, fitted uniform. Uniforms differentiated the soldiers from rabble, and especially from militia who only served for a short while and with their own clothes - not usually uniformed. When a man joined a regiment, the recruiter often promised them to have a full furnishing of clothes which included a coat, a waistcoat, three shirts, a pair of breeches, stockings, and a hat. Leaders recognized the importance of clothing their soldiers.

The French supply of coats came in late 1778 and in two colors: blue faced with red and brown faced with red. Faced meaning the label, cuff, and collar colors. The Americans did have some problems with supply. Not all regiments would receive the coats, and some of the coats that shipped over had poor quality to them. Both in bad cloth, but also sizing. A good portion of coats came in a "middling" size, with a another in a very small size. Some so small that clothiers wondered if even their smallest soldier would fit into them. The fashion of the period dictated that clothes fitted close around the body. The armies followed but also wanted to ensure movement. Too tight would constrict movement and create problems. Fun fact: Benjamin Franklin and his nephew Jonathan Williams were the ones negotiating with the French and inspecting the coats! The Americans had to take them anyways and hoped for the best, at 38 livres a coat, they did not seem too approving with quality.

Most armies had tailors on hand. I did a small study a year or so ago for the British army in the 18th century and found a good portion of soldiers had tailoring experience before joining. Another portion cordwaining (shoemaking), and various other skills. Regimental tailors in the British army could get extra pay for their duties in making or mending clothes. Continental tailors had similar experiences. Altering and mending coats, trousers, coat sleeves, breeches, etc. One could make from four pennies to ten pennies per alteration, quite a bit of money for that time.

Now I said wool was inexpensive, but that did not mean that armies did not try to pinch every penny possible from every square inch of fabric. Clothing economics helped armies make sure of fabric with the most efficiency. Most how the fabric was cut. Most bolts had a width of around 53" inches, maybe a little more, and the main parts of the coat required two and half yards. A bigger soldier required more, but I do not think many large soldiers existed. Those demographics would be great to see. Facings require around a third of a yard of cloth. This is for one soldier and a regiment may have upwards of one thousand soldiers! Every inch is precious money and with the supply issues, every piece had to matter. By 1778, the tailors cut the coats shorter using the new pattern that reduced the tails to just at the hip level versus lower thigh. The British did something similar in 1777 during the Saratoga campaign.

The South had a craze for hunting shirts during the war. Wool coats protected soldiers from the cold, but did not help much in hot sweltering months of summer in the South. A cheap linen hunting shirt would do better to dress the men in a more appropriate textile and still offer itself as a piece of uniform. Easy to make and acquire yards of fabric for. General George Washington called for the making of thousands of these hunting shirts in the early years, to cloth the soldiers in a more uniform fashion and create a sentiment of an army. The use of hunting shirts as a part of uniform would continue on throughout the war. The fashion also spread from the South to more northern states and regiments. Daniel Morgan's rifle companies had the pleasure of spreading the look and image of the hunting shirt, as well as the option of an alternative to a wool regimental coat.

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Sources:

Colonial and State Records of NC (DocSouth) Vol 10, pp. 851-2 - "Invoice for goods and horses sent from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to North Carolina for the troops, including cover letter from William Hooper"

Neal Hurst - "kind of armour, being peculiar to America"

John Rees - "The taylors of the regiment": Insights on Soldiers Making and Mending Clothing, and Continental Army Clothing Supply 1778 to 1783