Court Suit
1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Despite the changes in fashion during the 19th century, court suits resemble the type of clothes a late 18th-century gentleman might have worn. They were cut in the style of fashionable 1790s men's dress, with waistcoat, tailcoat, knee-breeches worn with silk stockings, buckled shoes, a sword with a cut-steel hilt and a bicorne hat.
Ownership & Use
Court suits were worn for important cermonial occasions and at court. Sydney Vacher wore this court suit for the laying of the foundation stone of the Victoria and Albert Museum on 17 May 1899. On 28 April 1918 he wrote offering it to the Museum:
'It has just struck me would the Museum accept my Civic costume I wore at the laying of the foundation stone of the Museum. It is the ordinary civilian's black velvet with steel buttons ... I don't see that I shall have any further use for it. The material is English Silk Velvet and I had it made up for me.'
Design & Designing
After 1869 new regulations were introduced for gentlemen's court dress. The cut and form of the this style of suit were much the same as before, but the coat and breeches were usually made of black velvet instead of dark cloth. Waistcoats also tended to be made of plain white silk or black velvet.
By 1900 there were two main designs for court dress. This court suit is an example of the 'new style', which included a black velvet tailcoat which was worn open. The 'old style' consisted of a velvet frock coat with fronts sloping back from the waist, stand collar and black silk wig-bag.
In the early 20th century an alternative to these two styles was a cloth coat of mulberry, claret or green with matching breeches, and white waistcoat. The coat collar, cuffs and pocket flaps were decorated with gold embroidery.
Despite the changes in fashion during the 19th century, court suits resemble the type of clothes a late 18th-century gentleman might have worn. They were cut in the style of fashionable 1790s men's dress, with waistcoat, tailcoat, knee-breeches worn with silk stockings, buckled shoes, a sword with a cut-steel hilt and a bicorne hat.
Ownership & Use
Court suits were worn for important cermonial occasions and at court. Sydney Vacher wore this court suit for the laying of the foundation stone of the Victoria and Albert Museum on 17 May 1899. On 28 April 1918 he wrote offering it to the Museum:
'It has just struck me would the Museum accept my Civic costume I wore at the laying of the foundation stone of the Museum. It is the ordinary civilian's black velvet with steel buttons ... I don't see that I shall have any further use for it. The material is English Silk Velvet and I had it made up for me.'
Design & Designing
After 1869 new regulations were introduced for gentlemen's court dress. The cut and form of the this style of suit were much the same as before, but the coat and breeches were usually made of black velvet instead of dark cloth. Waistcoats also tended to be made of plain white silk or black velvet.
By 1900 there were two main designs for court dress. This court suit is an example of the 'new style', which included a black velvet tailcoat which was worn open. The 'old style' consisted of a velvet frock coat with fronts sloping back from the waist, stand collar and black silk wig-bag.
In the early 20th century an alternative to these two styles was a cloth coat of mulberry, claret or green with matching breeches, and white waistcoat. The coat collar, cuffs and pocket flaps were decorated with gold embroidery.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 11 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | A few fibres from the main fabric of the hat (T.61C-1918) were examined under polarised light microscopy on 14.10.24 to differentiate between beaver hair and silk. The results suggest that silk is present. The elemental composition of the hat was analysed by XRF to investigate the presence of hazardous materials, possibly related to commonly used fur treatments. Results show the presence of mercury. |
| Brief description | Man's court suit ensemble, 1899, English, black velvet coat and waistcoat made by Edward Lamb of Jermyn St. Bicorn hat made by Lincoln Bennett. White cotton shirt made by Vickerman London |
| Physical description | Velvet suit with silk lining and cut steel buttons, cotton shirt and suspenders, machine-knitted silk stockings, patent leather shoes and silk (imitating beaver) hat |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Sydney Vacher |
| Object history | Made by Edward Lamb, Military Tailor, 111 Jermyn Street, St James's, London, for Sydney Vacher, who wore it at the laying of the foundation stone of the Museum on 17 May 1899 |
| Production | Suspenders stamped with "Knight's Patent Rubber Clip" |
| Summary | Object Type Despite the changes in fashion during the 19th century, court suits resemble the type of clothes a late 18th-century gentleman might have worn. They were cut in the style of fashionable 1790s men's dress, with waistcoat, tailcoat, knee-breeches worn with silk stockings, buckled shoes, a sword with a cut-steel hilt and a bicorne hat. Ownership & Use Court suits were worn for important cermonial occasions and at court. Sydney Vacher wore this court suit for the laying of the foundation stone of the Victoria and Albert Museum on 17 May 1899. On 28 April 1918 he wrote offering it to the Museum: 'It has just struck me would the Museum accept my Civic costume I wore at the laying of the foundation stone of the Museum. It is the ordinary civilian's black velvet with steel buttons ... I don't see that I shall have any further use for it. The material is English Silk Velvet and I had it made up for me.' Design & Designing After 1869 new regulations were introduced for gentlemen's court dress. The cut and form of the this style of suit were much the same as before, but the coat and breeches were usually made of black velvet instead of dark cloth. Waistcoats also tended to be made of plain white silk or black velvet. By 1900 there were two main designs for court dress. This court suit is an example of the 'new style', which included a black velvet tailcoat which was worn open. The 'old style' consisted of a velvet frock coat with fronts sloping back from the waist, stand collar and black silk wig-bag. In the early 20th century an alternative to these two styles was a cloth coat of mulberry, claret or green with matching breeches, and white waistcoat. The coat collar, cuffs and pocket flaps were decorated with gold embroidery. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.61 to C, F to L-1918 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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