Many troops sought out smarter looking insignia from private tailors. One product was hand embroidered insignia made with metal wire instead of thread, often called "bullion". This was normally reserved for dress uniforms, but did occasionally appear on field clothing.

Unit patches actually had no prescribed regulation position when sewn to the upper sleeve, but usually they were placed 1/2"-1" under the shoulder seam. The wearer's current unit was sewn to the left sleeve, while any previous unit in which he saw combat might be placed on the right sleeve.