This ensemble illustrates fashionable formal dress for men in the 1770s. The fine silk velvet indicates that it was probably worn during the evening, at the theatre, opera or the always convivial Assembly Rooms to be found in the more fashionable towns and cities. This particular ensemble is made of a woven-to-shape velvet, with a border of rose sprigs in green and pink following the front edge and lower hem of the coat and edging the pocket flaps. By the 1770s the waistcoat has shortened further and ends at the top of the thigh. The skirts continue to diminish in volume and move further to the back. The sleeves and cuffs are becoming narrower. The pale shade of the ensemble signals a trend towards more subdued colours in men’s fashion.