Frock Coat
1820-1830 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
By the early 19th century, the coat was completely cut away in front, offering little protection or warmth. A new style of coat - the frock-coat - was introduced between 1815 and 1820. It had skirts to the knees and buttoned in front. It was influenced by the style of the greatcoat (overcoat), but was more fitted in shape. Worn first as informal daywear, the frock-coat soon became the formal day-coat of the 19th century. This example in beige wool has ‘capes’ over the shoulder and a collar of velvet. The weight of the skirts of the new frock-coat made it difficult to cut the fronts in one piece, so a waist seam was introduced in the 1820s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wool, trimmed with silk velvet, lined with silk, hand-sewn |
| Physical description | The coat has a cut silk velvet collar. There is a waist seam and a centre back vent with two pockets on either side. The cuffs have a two-button fly opening. The edges are trimmed with beige twilled silk. |
| Credit line | Given by Mr Talbot Hughes |
| Summary | By the early 19th century, the coat was completely cut away in front, offering little protection or warmth. A new style of coat - the frock-coat - was introduced between 1815 and 1820. It had skirts to the knees and buttoned in front. It was influenced by the style of the greatcoat (overcoat), but was more fitted in shape. Worn first as informal daywear, the frock-coat soon became the formal day-coat of the 19th century. This example in beige wool has ‘capes’ over the shoulder and a collar of velvet. The weight of the skirts of the new frock-coat made it difficult to cut the fronts in one piece, so a waist seam was introduced in the 1820s. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.294-1910 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest Feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest Feedback
| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest