Child's woollen coat with silk collar (English Warehouse brand) made in France in about 1900

Child's yoked single-breasted coat of cream ribbed wool, lined with padded ivory-coloured silk. It has a rounded neck edged with a frill of ivory-coloured silk above a caped collar which is trimmed with parallel rows of cream-coloured braid and edged with a frilled flounce of ivory-coloured silk. The coat has full wrist-length sleeves, each pleated into a turn-back cuff which is trimmed with rows of braid to match that on the collar, and two inset front pockets with arrowhead stitching at each corner. The garment, which was probably designed for a boy, fastens with a button-through fly fastening at the front.

Bought at auction

This single-breasted coat of cream ribbed wool was probably designed for a boy, and fastens with a button-through fly fastening at the front. Children’s clothing made in France had long had a fine reputation, particularly with American and British customers. But English cutting and formal tailoring, particularly for menswear and sports garments, had a similar reputation in France. By taking the name ‘The English Warehouse’, the Paris-based company whose brand label this coat carries was keen to capitalise on the connection.

MISC.89-1985