Man's waistcoat, 1789-92, British; ivory silk satin with polychrome floral design, woven-to-shape by Maze and Steer, Spitalfields, London, 1789

Man’s waistcoat with a 1¾-inch standing collar (4.5 cm), revers, straight fronts and hem, hip-length, with a welted pocket on each front. The fronts, collar, revers and pocket welts are made of ivory silk satin, woven-to-shape with silk in white and shades of brown, pink and green in a pattern of floral sprays on the collar, revers and along the front edges, small floral springs on the pocket welts and along the hems, the rest of the fronts filled with repeating abstract twigs. The back and linings are made of linen. There are 11 worked buttonholes along the left front with 11 self-covered buttons on the right front, and 2 pair of linen tape ties on the back.

Purchased with the assistance of the Hon. Christopher Lennox-Boyd

The waistcoat was purchased from Christie's and was part of the collection of Miss Cecile M Hummel.

See V&A object T.384-1972, a sample book. The design used for the waistcoat is represented in the sample book on page 186.

This waistcoat is made of silk woven by an 18th century company, Maze and Steer. Their pattern book of “Fancy Vestings and Handkerchief Goods” in the Museum’s collections (Museum no. T.384-1972), features this design, woven in 1789, in two colourways. The square-cut shape, standing collar and welt pocket are characteristic of the waistcoat styles in the late 1780 and early 1790s.

T.676-1974