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Suit

Suit

  • Place of origin:

    Great Britain, United Kingdom (made)

  • Date:

    1750-1769 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Wool and linen, brown silk twill and fustian, hand-woven and hand-sewn, and silver-gilt

  • Museum number:

    T.329 to D-1985

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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It was common practice to leave the side and back seams of men’s coats open in the 18th century. This tradition derived from 17th-century riding coats, as it allowed the garment to drape comfortably while seated on a horse. Open seams also accommodated the sword worn by all gentlemen during this period. The fashion of the 1740s for extravagant full-skirted coats waned in the 1750s and 1760s. Side pleats were not as deep as the silhouette became more slender.

The coat forms part of a suit with breeches and waistcoat, all made of felted superfine russet wool. Silver-gilt buttons comprise the only adornment. Such an ensemble would have been worn as formal daywear in Britain.

Physical description

Man's suit comprising of a red-brown coat, waistcoat, a pair of breeches, and two sleeves.
[Coat] Coat of russet-coloured wool with silver-gilt buttons. Twill with a bouclé finish. Full-skirted and with a round neck. Twenty silver-gilt buttons with a moulded rococo design are placed from the neck to hem down the front, although only 12 have functioning buttonholes from the neck to the waistline. The remainder are decorative. Seventeen other buttons below the pocket flaps and at intervals in both the side skirt openings. There are two front pockets at the waistline with five buttons. Those at each end fasten the pocket flap.
[Waistcoat] Waistcoat with two pockets at the front with three point pocket flaps and five buttons below the flap. The ones at each end button down the pocket flap. The sleeves have been detached (T.329C&D).
[Breeches] Breeches made with front falls fastened either at the side of the centre front opening or fly. A deep waistband fastened at the front with two buttons (one is missing) and can be adjusted at the back by tapes tied across a V-shaped piece (a puff) of brown silk twill. There are two side pockets and two horizontal front pockets which are fastened by a single button and a fob pocket let into the top of the right hand waistband. All the pocket bags and the waistband are made of fustian. The facings are of brown silk twill. The breeches are fastened at the knee by four buttons and a strap for a knee buckle.
[Sleeve] Sleeve with a deep broad cuff with buttons. Fitted sleeve that tapers to the slit cuff and can be fastened with a single button to the waistcoat.
[Sleeve] Sleeve with a deep broad cuff with buttons. Fitted sleeve that tapers to the slit cuff and can be fastened with a single button to the waistcoat.

Place of Origin

Great Britain, United Kingdom (made)

Date

1750-1769 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Wool and linen, brown silk twill and fustian, hand-woven and hand-sewn, and silver-gilt

Dimensions

[Coat] Circumference: 40 in chest, Circumference: 102 cm chest, Circumference: 33 in hips, Circumference: 84 cm hips, Length: 39.5 in, Length: 100 cm, Circumference: 13 in knee, Circumference: 33 cm knee

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Hart, Avril & Susan North. Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries. London: V&A Publications, 1998, pp.46 & 84

Materials

Silk (textile); Silver-gilt; Wool yarn; Linen (material); Fustian

Techniques

Hand sewing; Hand weaving

Categories

Formal wear; Day wear; Men's clothes

Production Type

Unique

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O127143
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