When the Founding Fathers designed the United States governmental structure, they took great care to make it look different from a monarchy. Therefore we have three equal branches, a house instead of a palace, and the custom of calling our leader "Mr. President." Occasionally, we have a president who wants to stray from those practices.
The United States Secret Service Uniformed Division is a branch of the service that guards the White House and other locations. They are, and traditionally dress as, police officers. After visiting Europe soon after his first inauguration, Richard Nixon decided America needed more pomp and circumstance at the White House, and partnered with a Washington tailor to create fancy uniforms for the division to be worn for ceremonial occasions. The uniforms had double-breasted jackets festooned with gold braid and White House branding, and stiff caps trimmed in gold. They looked like marching band uniforms, and were ridiculed in the press. The uniforms were retired a few years later, and eventually went up for sale. What happened to the uniforms afterward is the more interesting story, which you can read at the Nixon Presidential Library. -via Fark
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