Chained buttons are authorized for wear on both the male and female jackets of the Blue or White Mess Dress uniform. Emblazoned with the coat of arms of the United States (more commonly known as the front of the Great Seal of the U.S.), these buttons are joined together by a 1.5” gold-colored chain and are worn through the topmost buttons on the jackets. 25-ligne buttons are worn on male jackets and 20-ligne buttons on the female version.
It is unclear when chained buttons first began to be used in civilian fashion, though the similarity between them and pocket-watch chains would seem to suggest at least a correlation between the two. As far as their use in the U.S. Army, the longstanding tradition among NCOs is that the purpose of chained buttons is enable more room for food, beer, or both.