Dress coat
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Wool embroidered with silver gilt thread, lined with silk and interfaced with buckram
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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The coat, waistcoat and breeches remained the primary ensemble for men’s formal and informal dress throughout the 18th century. This coat dates from the early decades of the 1700s. The muted shade of brown in a fine wool is typical for the date and for English men's dress, as is the silver-gilt embroidery. Up until the 1730s, coats were knee-length, buttoning right to the hem, with full pleats at the sides. The cuffs were altered to the ‘mariner’s’ style of the 1750s, suggesting that the coat may have been worn by two generations of owners.
According to family lore, the coat was worn by Thomas Severne Esq. (1644–1737), who was Gentleman of the Bedchamber to William III (reigned 1689–1702).
Physical description
Man's coat made from light brown superfine cloth embroidered in silver gilt thread. It has a low round neck, no collar and fits into the waist with quite full skirts that flair out from the hips with a central back vent and the hem reached to just above the knee. It has thirteen buttons and button holes down the front, from neck to hem.
The pockets have large irregular shaped flaps 6.25 inches deep, beneath each flap and stitched to pocket are five buttons although there are only two button holes on the flap itself.
The embroidery consists of small abstract shapes not unlike some bizarre designs of the early eighteenth century or the proto-bizzare silk designs of the late 1690's with formalised plant forms arranged along the fronts and skirt edges and the pocket flaps and cuffs. The decoration finishes neatly just above the edge of the coat an indication that the length of the coat has not been altered. There is no hem the edges are raw and unstitched.
The coat is lined with beige silk and has buckram interfacing down the fronts.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
Date
1700-1720 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Wool embroidered with silver gilt thread, lined with silk and interfaced with buckram
Dimensions
Circumference: 37 in chest, Circumference: 36 in waist, Width: 19 in shoulder, Length: 19 in neck, Circumference: 20.75 in arm hole, Length: 16 in elbow, Length: 10 in cuff, Length: 18 in inside arm, Length: 22 in outside arm, Length: 19.5 in back of neck to waist, Length: 17 in vent to hem, Length: 37 in
Descriptive line
Dress coat of wool embroidered with silver gilt thread, England, 1700-1720
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Rothstein, Natalie, ed., Four Hundred Year of Fashion (London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1984), p.55.
Exhibition History
The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned (Historic Royal Palaces 05/04/2012-30/09/2012)
Gallery 40 (Victoria and Albert Museum 01/01/1984-31/12/2004)
Materials
Wool; Silver-gilt thread
Techniques
Woven; Embroidered
Categories
Fashion; Men's clothes
Collection code
T&F
