Shell jacket The shell jacket is a garment used as part of a military uniform . It is a short jacket that reaches down to hip level . It was very common in the mid and late 19th century . The jacket was first created in Austria . The shell jacket was first introduced to European armies toward the end of the 18th Century . Up to then , soldiers , infantry , cavalry and artillery had worn open dress uniform coats with turn - back lapels over either coloured or white sleeved - waistcoats and breeches . The advent of closed uniform coatees , i . e . waist - length jackets with standing collars and tails , buttoned from throat to waist , meant that sleeved waistcoats could not be worn underneath and therefore fell redundant . However , in order to save damage or staining to dress coatees while on fatigue duties , etc . , a new , relatively plain coloured waist - length jacket was introduced . The term “ shell ” jacket is of British origin , appearing during the 1790s , when Light Dragoons adopted a dark blue short jacket with a decorative sleeveless over - jacket , or “ shell ” on top . Though short - lived , the name stuck and was later to applied to short , sleeved fatigue jackets from about 1800 . Through the British Army adopted coloured shell jackets ( red for infantry and heavy cavalry , dark blue for artillery and light cavalry ) , Foot - Guards and Highland regiments adopted a white shell - jacket , referred to as a sleeved - waistcoat . During the first half of the 19th Century , the British Army wore dress coatees in battle against European or American enemies , but tended to wear shell jackets on colonial campaigns . However , the shell jacket was discontinued by the British in the 1870s ( other than by certain cavalry regiments ) in favour of a second , plainer skirted tunic . Guards and Highland regiments continued to wear white shell jackets for “ walking out ” until 1914 . The shell jacket became regulation for the US army in 1833 , replacing the Napoleonic - era blue tail coat . Infantry jackets were sky blue with white piping and silver buttons . Cavalry uniforms were navy blue with orange ( later yellow ) piping and artillery uniforms were identical but with red piping ; they had brass rather than silver buttons . The infantry uniform was worn during the Mexican War until 1851 when it was replaced with the dark blue frock coat with sky blue piping . Trousers with a fly front replaced the older - style flap - front design and kepi s and Hardee hat s replaced the M1839 Wheel Cap . Cavalry and artillery shell jackets remained in use until after the US Civil War as they were more practical for mounted troops than the long frock ( which was briefly introduced in 1851 but rejected ) . The Confederate States of America adopted the jacket in 1861 ; the most famous are the Richmond Depot ' s , RDI , RDII , and RDIII . Columbus Depot , Department of Alabama , and Atlanta Depot also were common famous suppliers . See Uniforms of the Confederate Military for more information . During World War 2 Dwight D Eisenhower popularised a waist - length jacket based on British Battle Dress . This was known as an Ike Jacket and after the war was adopted as a uniform by many US police forces . Blue denim versions became popular among urban workers , cowboy s , trucker s and teenagers . Today these jackets ( often with patches , studs and badges added ) are popular among bikers , greaser s , metalheads and punk s . In addition it plays a minor role in mainstream European fashion .