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Frock Coat

ca. 1885 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Every fashionable Victorian gentleman had at least one frock coat in his wardrobe. The frock coat had full skirts, not just tails, and had evolved from the practical woollen coats worn in the British countryside for farming and sporting activities in the eighteenth century. By the 1830s it was the most popular coat for day wear or 'undress' and was available in many different varieties.

In the 1880s, with its sombre colours and elegant tailoring, the frock coat had become perfect for more formal day and business wear. Its distinguishing features were wide lapels, a seam at the waist and skirts which sometimes reached to the knee.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool lined with satin
Brief description
Frock coat, made in Paris, ca. 1885
Physical description
Woolen frock coat, lined with satin
Dimensions
  • Weight: 1.28kg
Credit line
Given by Mrs Frederick Ferraboschi
Summary
Every fashionable Victorian gentleman had at least one frock coat in his wardrobe. The frock coat had full skirts, not just tails, and had evolved from the practical woollen coats worn in the British countryside for farming and sporting activities in the eighteenth century. By the 1830s it was the most popular coat for day wear or 'undress' and was available in many different varieties.

In the 1880s, with its sombre colours and elegant tailoring, the frock coat had become perfect for more formal day and business wear. Its distinguishing features were wide lapels, a seam at the waist and skirts which sometimes reached to the knee.
Collection
Accession number
T.44-1932

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Record createdMarch 11, 2005
Record URL
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