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Formal coat and breeches

Formal coat and breeches

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    1700-1705 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Wool, faced with silk twill, lined with cotton twill, embroidered with silver thread and hand-sewn

  • Museum number:

    T.327&A-1982

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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This ensemble illustrates the fashionable style of male clothing by the period 1700-1705. The coat is worn quite short and has very wide skirts carefully pleated into the side seams. The sleeves are fairly tight with wide cuffs. Red was a fashionable colour for men, along with deep blue and more subdued shades of grey and brown. The small size of this outfit suggests it would have been worn by a boy. Once out of baby clothes, children wore miniature versions of adult fashions at this time. The back skirts of the coat were extensively repaired at a later date.

Physical description

Coat and breeches for a boy of fine red wool embroidered with silver-gilt thread. Wool, faced with silk twill, lined with cotton twill, embroidered with silver thread and hand-sewn.
[Breeches] Breeches with a fly front fastening with three buttons worked with silver-gilt thread. The fronts are faced with red silk twill. Two large buttons at the front waist, and a centre back opening with two eyelet holes to allow for a tape adjustment.

Two pockets are let into the waistband at the front, each with a button fastening. On each front there is a horizontal pocket which fastens at the hip with a single button. There are two side pockets faced with red silk twill. All the pocket bags are of chamois leather.

The legs are open at the knee and fastens with five buttons. The knee band originally has a gathering tape to fit the breeches around the leg. Each opening also has a 'puff' of red silk twill.

Lined with cotton twill.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

1700-1705 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Wool, faced with silk twill, lined with cotton twill, embroidered with silver thread and hand-sewn

Dimensions

[Breeches] Circumference: 30 in waist, Circumference: 76 cm waist, Length: 14.5 in inside leg, Length: 37 cm inside leg, Depth: 1 in waistband at back, Depth: 2.5 cm waistband at back, Circumference: 13.5 in around leg, Circumference: 34.5 cm around leg, Depth: 3 in waistband at front, Depth: 7.5 cm waistband at front

Descriptive line

Coat and breeches for a boy of fine wool embroidered with silver-gilt thread, England, 1700-1705

Production Note

Associated with Samuel Enys (d. 1744).

Categories

Clothing; Embroidery; Fashion; Children's clothes; Formal wear

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O13923
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