1750-1769, Man's Velvet Suit
Description
Rust color silk velvet three piece suit (coat, vest/waistcoat, breeches) with beige and black floral voided pattern--beige floral sprigs outlined in black against a black brickwork pattern ground
a) knee length collarless coat with long sleeves having 5" deep turn-back cuffs added to bottom of sleeve; two inset hip pockets with shaped pocket flaps; front, cuffs and pocket flaps all have thread-worked faux button holes with corresponding gold textured tombac metal buttons with wood backs and yarn 'shanks'. Back skirt pleats decorated with a button at top and secured with a button at bottom, creating a slit. The coat body has chest padding and is lined with off-white silk and underlined with a loosely-woven off-white wild silk; the sleeves have a linen lining.
b) below waist length matching collarless vest/waistcoat with smaller (3/4" dia.) similarly textured gold color metal buttons with decorated metal backs and shanks; shaped pocket flaps at hips with 4 buttons (may originally have been working pockets); off-white cotton canvas back and back lining, with trapezoidal pieces of fuzzy cotton (flannel?) twill weave at lower back; off-white linen tabs hand-sewn to vest back with gold color metal buckle attached to proper left tab; off-white silk front, collar and skirt facing; front of vest flat-lined with white linen--having 2-3" strip of white wool plain weave padding above pocket flap between linen and silk facing (now only on proper left); back of vest and lower front show signs of alteration--center back seam split and enlarged, enlarging godets between back and sides at upper side seams, replacement silk facing lower left front.
c) Matching knee breeches with self covered button fly and hand-worked buttonhole front closure and front double pockets held closed with a self covered button; waistband 4.5" center front reducing to 3.25" center back; back waistband has replacement velvet 7.25" proper right and 6" proper left; 3 buttons on CF waistband, 2 replacement fabric buttons lower front fly closure; back waistband and top of breeches split 5" total; evidence of waistband ties (missing); full back seat of trousers gathered into waistband; breeches lined with fuzzy cotton 2:1 twill; interior waistband pocket right front; bottoms of breeches longer in front and cut out in back to accommodate bending knee; button closures match vest buttons; buttonholes faced with off-white silk.
a) knee length collarless coat with long sleeves having 5" deep turn-back cuffs added to bottom of sleeve; two inset hip pockets with shaped pocket flaps; front, cuffs and pocket flaps all have thread-worked faux button holes with corresponding gold textured tombac metal buttons with wood backs and yarn 'shanks'. Back skirt pleats decorated with a button at top and secured with a button at bottom, creating a slit. The coat body has chest padding and is lined with off-white silk and underlined with a loosely-woven off-white wild silk; the sleeves have a linen lining.
b) below waist length matching collarless vest/waistcoat with smaller (3/4" dia.) similarly textured gold color metal buttons with decorated metal backs and shanks; shaped pocket flaps at hips with 4 buttons (may originally have been working pockets); off-white cotton canvas back and back lining, with trapezoidal pieces of fuzzy cotton (flannel?) twill weave at lower back; off-white linen tabs hand-sewn to vest back with gold color metal buckle attached to proper left tab; off-white silk front, collar and skirt facing; front of vest flat-lined with white linen--having 2-3" strip of white wool plain weave padding above pocket flap between linen and silk facing (now only on proper left); back of vest and lower front show signs of alteration--center back seam split and enlarged, enlarging godets between back and sides at upper side seams, replacement silk facing lower left front.
c) Matching knee breeches with self covered button fly and hand-worked buttonhole front closure and front double pockets held closed with a self covered button; waistband 4.5" center front reducing to 3.25" center back; back waistband has replacement velvet 7.25" proper right and 6" proper left; 3 buttons on CF waistband, 2 replacement fabric buttons lower front fly closure; back waistband and top of breeches split 5" total; evidence of waistband ties (missing); full back seat of trousers gathered into waistband; breeches lined with fuzzy cotton 2:1 twill; interior waistband pocket right front; bottoms of breeches longer in front and cut out in back to accommodate bending knee; button closures match vest buttons; buttonholes faced with off-white silk.
Source
HCT.1999.43.1abc
Date
1750-1765
Relation
Additional fiber images and information available at the CAMEO Materials Database at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Provenance
This ensemble was purchased at auction.
Design Elements
Two-Piece Tailored Sleeve, Knickers/Knee Pants
Fiber/Fabric Information
The velvet is a silk while the garment contains, silk, cotton and flax in various parts of the lining.
Decade
1750-1765
Color
Brown light, Orange brown
Files
Collection
Citation
“1750-1769, Man's Velvet Suit,” Fashion2Fiber, accessed December 12, 2024, https://fashion2fiber.osu.edu/items/show/1096.