Man's coat, 1795-1805, French; Silk warp and worsted weft, yellow, ivory, fawn stripe, cut-steel buttons, double-breasted

A man’s coat of poplin with silk warp and faun-coloured worsted weft, striped with yellow and ivory in satin weave, with a 2¼-inch (5.7 cm), turned-down collar, revers and curving, 2-piece sleeves ending in working mariner’s cuffs, 3¼ inches (8.2 cm) deep. The fronts are cut straight across at the waist, with pleats ½-inch (1.2 cm) deep, beside the centre back. Each front a shaped pocket flap; the right side has a welted pocket underneath. The centre-back seam is open below the hip. The back and sleeves are lined with bleached linen, the skirts with pink and green ribbed cotton, the pockets with beige cotton twill; the pocket flaps are self-lined. The coat is true double-breasted; there are 3 worked buttonholes and 3 cut-steel buttons on each front. The cuffs have 3 cut-steel buttons and cut buttonholes; there is a button at the top, centre and hem of the pleats.

This double-breasted coat demonstrates the exaggerated style of the late 1790s. It has a very high turned-down collar and large revers (lapels). The coat is now cut straight across in front and, following the example of women’s dress, the waistline is several inches above the natural level. The double-breasted style in both coats and waistcoats was a fashion that began in the 1780s. The fabric of this coat is poplin, a blend of silk and worsted (wool), popular for summer wear. The coat is adorned with large cut-steel buttons, continuing a fashion for over-sized buttons, which started in the 1770s. Cut-steel became a popular material for buttons and shoe-buckles in the 1750s. It imitated the brilliance of paste, but at a fraction of the price.

T.769-1919