A man's coat, waistcoat and breeches of beige wool, trimmed with silver-thread ribbon and green-foil buttons, English, 1775-85

A man’s suit of beige woollen broadcloth. The coat has a 2-piece, 1¾ -inch (4.4 cm), rounded collar 2-piece sleeves ending in false cuffs, shaped to a point 3⅛ inches (7.7 cm) deep at the front, and open at the back sleeve seam. The fronts curve from neck to hem with pleats 2¾ inches (7 cm) deep, below the hip set beside the centre back. Each front has a pocket and scalloped pocket flap; the centre-back seam is open below the hip. The back is lined with green worsted, the fronts, skirts and pocket flaps with green silk twill, the pockets and sleeved with bleached linen. The coat is edged with a narrow (5/16 ins / 6 mm) woven lace (braid) of silver-gilt strip and silver thread, around the collar, down the fronts, around the pocket flaps, on the cuffs, along the pleats and the centre-back opening. There 9 worked buttonholes along the left front, the bottom one uncut and 4 on each sleeve above the wrist. There are 10 buttons, cast in a filigree design and gilt, over green foil along the right front edge, 4 on each cuff, 1 at the hem and top of the pleats and 1 above the centre-back opening. There are 3 pairs of hooks and eyes on the fronts at the chest level.

The waistcoat fronts are made of beige woollen broadcloth with a round neckline, curving fronts and skirts reaching to the top of the thigh. Each front has a pocket and scalloped pocket flap. The back is made of and the back skirts lined with beige, glazed worsted twill, the waistcoat is lined with flannel, the fronts faced, front skirts and pocket flaps lined with green silk twill. The narrow silver and silver-gilt woven lace edges the front neckline, the front edges and hem, and the pocket flaps. There are 12 worked buttonholes along the left front and 12 buttons, cast in a filigree design and gilt, over green foil along the right front edge.

The breeches comprise 2 fronts, two backs and 2 waistbands, made of beige woollen broadcloth. The back legs are cut higher than the fronts and gathered into the back of the waistbands. There is a pocket at the side of each front and watch pocket in the lining of the right front waistband. The fronts close with buttoned waistbands and a fall front; the back waistbands with a buckle and strap. The legs and waistbands are lined with flannel, the fall front with green silk twill and the pockets with bleached linen. There were 3 bone buttons on the front waistband (1 now missing), 1 for each pocket and 1 for each corner of the fall fronts. On the outer seam of each leg, there are four cast and gilt filigree and green foil buttons, and 1 fastening the knee band below.

The suit was altered, probably in the 18th century, possibly for a taller wearer. The hem of coat was lengthened with a 1¾ inch (4.4 cm) strip of broadcloth, a slightly lighter shade of beige, very finely joined, and the sleeves lengthened in the same way by 2⅝ inches (6.4 cm). At some point, the stitching of a tenth, uncut buttonhole on the coat was unpicked. The seat of the breeches was replaced on each side of the centre back seam with the lighter beige cloth.

Given by Lady Spickernell

This ensemble may have been worn by Joseph Green Esq (b.1737-d.1810), a wine merchant in Birmingham. A portrait, in the posession of the donor's family, of which the V&A has a photograph (V&A negative number 77412), shows Green wearing a seemingly identical ensemble.

This ensemble illustrates fashionable formal dress for men in the late 1770s or early 1780s. The fine wool with a very narrow silver braid indicates that it was probably worn during the day - for visiting friends for tea, walking in a park or shopping. By the late 1770s the waistcoat is ending at the top of the thigh. The skirts are narrow and fall between the side and back seam of the coat. The cut of the sleeves is quite tight and the cuffs narrow. By 1780 the small stand-up collar that appeared two decades earlier has evolved into a turn-down style. The pale shade of the ensemble signals a trend towards more subdued colours in men’s fashion.

T.149 to B-1937