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Coat, Waistcoat and Breeches

1770s (weaving), 1770s (sewing), 1850 - 1910 (altered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A man's coat, waistcoat and breeches of cream silk cut and voided velvet, woven to shape in a design of consecutive bows with green, brown and blue silk in the pile, and a ground of green starbursts and voided zig-zags. The coat has a round neckline with a standing collar (2 cm). The curved, two-piece, narrow sleeves end at the wrist in a round cuff (10.8 cm deep). The coat fronts curve from neck to hem with narrow skirts below the hip, set in pleats at the side-back seam. The tailor made adjustments to the curve of the fronts as woven, by cutting behind the woven borders from mid-chest to waist and very finely stitching them back to the coat fronts. There is an inverted pleat on each side of the centre back opening. There is a scalloped pocket flap on each front at hip level. The pockets and sleeves are lined with bleached linen. There are 3 hooks on the right front edge, one at the neck and 2 at the chest, with corresponding hooks on the left front edge. There are 12 woven-to-shape, velvet-covered buttons on the right front, running from neck to pocket flap, but no buttonholes on the left side. There are 3 buttons below the pocket flaps, 3 on each cuff, one above the side-back pleats, one holding the pleats at the hem, and one on the edge of the side-back pleat.

The waistcoat fronts and back skirts are made of the silk velvet, the backs of white twill worsted. The neckline is round; the waistcoat fronts curve from neck to hem with skirts reaching to between top and middle of the thigh. The tailor adjusted the woven shape of the waistcoat by cutting behind the woven borders from mid-chest up and around the neck, then very finely stitching them bad to the coat fronts. There is a scalloped pocket flap on each front at hip level. The pockets are lined with bleached linen, the backs and fronts with fustian, the back skirts and pocket flaps with olive-green silk satin; the fronts are faced with the same satin. There are 13 wovent-to-shape, velvet-covered buttons, smaller than those on the coat, on the waistcoat right front, with 13 corresponding buttonholes, worked in cream silk twist, on the left front. There are 3 buttons below the pocket flaps.

The breeches are made of 2 front legs, 2 back legs, 2 waistbands, all of the silk velvet. The back legs are cut higher than the fronts and gathered into the back of the waistbands. There is a watch pocket in the front of the right waistband and a pocket with flap, below the waistband on each side. The breeches have a fall front. The legs, pockets and waistbands are lined with linen, the fall-front flap with olive-green silk satin. The waistband fronts fasten with 3 large, silk-covered buttons and corresponding buttonholes, the pocket flaps and fall front with a small silk-covered button on each side. There is a buckle band at the centre back of the right waistband, with a buttonhole at the centre back of the left waistband. There are 5 small silk-covered buttons, with buttonholes above the knee of each leg, with a woven-to-shape buckle band.

The coat was relined with gold silk satin and the pleats reset, probably in the late 19th century, possibly for theatrical wear.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Coat
  • Waistcoat
  • Breeches
Materials and techniques
Silk, linen, silk thread, linen thread; hand-woven velvet, hand-sewn
Brief description
A man's coat, waistcoat and breeches, 1770s, English; woven-to-shape cream velvet, probably French, 1770s; coat altered 1850-1910
Physical description
A man's coat, waistcoat and breeches of cream silk cut and voided velvet, woven to shape in a design of consecutive bows with green, brown and blue silk in the pile, and a ground of green starbursts and voided zig-zags. The coat has a round neckline with a standing collar (2 cm). The curved, two-piece, narrow sleeves end at the wrist in a round cuff (10.8 cm deep). The coat fronts curve from neck to hem with narrow skirts below the hip, set in pleats at the side-back seam. The tailor made adjustments to the curve of the fronts as woven, by cutting behind the woven borders from mid-chest to waist and very finely stitching them back to the coat fronts. There is an inverted pleat on each side of the centre back opening. There is a scalloped pocket flap on each front at hip level. The pockets and sleeves are lined with bleached linen. There are 3 hooks on the right front edge, one at the neck and 2 at the chest, with corresponding hooks on the left front edge. There are 12 woven-to-shape, velvet-covered buttons on the right front, running from neck to pocket flap, but no buttonholes on the left side. There are 3 buttons below the pocket flaps, 3 on each cuff, one above the side-back pleats, one holding the pleats at the hem, and one on the edge of the side-back pleat.

The waistcoat fronts and back skirts are made of the silk velvet, the backs of white twill worsted. The neckline is round; the waistcoat fronts curve from neck to hem with skirts reaching to between top and middle of the thigh. The tailor adjusted the woven shape of the waistcoat by cutting behind the woven borders from mid-chest up and around the neck, then very finely stitching them bad to the coat fronts. There is a scalloped pocket flap on each front at hip level. The pockets are lined with bleached linen, the backs and fronts with fustian, the back skirts and pocket flaps with olive-green silk satin; the fronts are faced with the same satin. There are 13 wovent-to-shape, velvet-covered buttons, smaller than those on the coat, on the waistcoat right front, with 13 corresponding buttonholes, worked in cream silk twist, on the left front. There are 3 buttons below the pocket flaps.

The breeches are made of 2 front legs, 2 back legs, 2 waistbands, all of the silk velvet. The back legs are cut higher than the fronts and gathered into the back of the waistbands. There is a watch pocket in the front of the right waistband and a pocket with flap, below the waistband on each side. The breeches have a fall front. The legs, pockets and waistbands are lined with linen, the fall-front flap with olive-green silk satin. The waistband fronts fasten with 3 large, silk-covered buttons and corresponding buttonholes, the pocket flaps and fall front with a small silk-covered button on each side. There is a buckle band at the centre back of the right waistband, with a buttonhole at the centre back of the left waistband. There are 5 small silk-covered buttons, with buttonholes above the knee of each leg, with a woven-to-shape buckle band.

The coat was relined with gold silk satin and the pleats reset, probably in the late 19th century, possibly for theatrical wear.
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Given by the Earl of Gosford
Collection
Accession number
T.130-1921

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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