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Portrait of Matthew Prior 1718
Painted for Lord Harley, one of Prior's main patrons, Richardson's animated composition shows the poet at the point of inspiration. This copy, by Richardson's pupil Thomas Hudson, is one of many painted for Prior's admirers.
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw05152/Matthew-Prior?LinkID=mp03663&role=sit&rNo=2
Made since the 16th century, banyans or men's dressing gowns functioned as loose robes worn by gentlemen in the privacy of their homes. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "banyan" as a 16th-century Arabic word for a Hindu trader; by the 1720s, the term had changed to indicate this piece of leisure clothing worn by men at home. Banyans are also described in period literature and diaries as bannians, Indian gowns, morning gowns, loose gowns and nightgowns. There are two basic styles: a loose T-shape, kimono-like garment; and a more fitted coat style, usually with a matching waistcoat, which may be attached to the banyan at the side seams and with some sort of front closure such as frogs or tassels. American gentlemen adopted the fashion of wearing banyans as evidenced by the 1767 portrait of Boston merchant Nicholas Boylston (1716-1771) by John Singleton Copley (1738-1815). Many early American scientists and scholars posed in banyans to communicate the purely intellectual or spiritual character of their endeavors: "a banyan in eighteenth-century portraiture seems to indicate a body at ease, giving free rein to the mind's work." There is also evidence that at least four banyans were made and worn in Deerfield between 1773 and 1779. The rich, cherry-red silk damask of this banyan was a favorite color of this period, and was probably achieved through the use of cochineal which was widely used after its discovery and importation from Mexico in the early 16th century. |
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1760-70
Mid-18th century men's suits were slimmer than the decades prior to them with a curved front opening, narrower sleeves and cuffs, and fitted breeches with a fall front closure. This suit is a fine example of a gentleman's day suit of the period in silhouette and textile.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80097417?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=men%27s+costume+united+states&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&pos=6
The British aesthetic during the 18th century tended to veer away from the ostentatious French styles being worn at the same time. The textiles were more somber, the silhouettes more simple and the fashions more basic while decoration and elaborate textiles flourished in France. Interestingly, nearing the end of Louis XVI's (1754-1793) reign, the simple English styles were adopted by some Frenchman in an attempt to publicly express their rage towards the aristocracy. This particular British suit is exemplary of popular dress in England during the middle of the 18th century with its somber wool, minimal decoration and plain buttons.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80097355?rpp=20&pg=7&ao=on&ft=men%27s+costume+united+states&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&pos=139 |
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Sir John T. Stanley , Baron of Alderley
1780-90
This suit is the epitome of mid-18th century men's wear with its curved jacket front, fitted breeches, narrow sleeves and decorative mid-thigh length waistcoat. Waistcoats of the time were a vehicle for imagination and, in this case, add an ornate aspect to an otherwise conservative ensemble. The unique textile of the waistcoat indicates an interest in the exotic, with a stairway leading up to a pavilion with an overarching natural elements, while still following traditional floral patterning commonly found in waistcoats of the 18th century. Unlike most suits of the period, this suit can be undoubtedly linked through matching buttons on the coat, breeches and waistcoat.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80095165?rpp=20&pg=1&ao=on&ft=men%27s+costume+united+states&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&pos=17
Tight fitting breeches were the fashion.
In fact, a gentleman when ordering a pair is said to have told his tailor, “if I can get into ‘em, I won’t pay for’em.” (week 2 notes)
Characteristic of the fashion of this date, skintight breeches that buckle below the knee and a fitted waistcoat are almost entirely covered by a coat with collarless, narrow chest and stiffly flaring skirt that concentrates emphasis on the lower torso and thighs. The placement of the opulent applied decoration bolsters this effect. Although the coat retains stiffness reminiscent of the 1750s styles, the buttons do not meet below the upper chest and the angular opening anticipates the pronounced front curve and diminishing skirt of late decades. The color coordination of all three parts and the utilization of wool, both decidedly English elements that anticipate modern attire, were generally reserved for informal wear. Here, however, the suit is resplendent with an abundance of gold buttons and braid more closely associated with high-style occasions.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80000140?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=suit+french+breeches&pos=6
This formal suit, made or worn with a contrasting waistcoat, handsomely shows the richness of embroidery added to the luxury of patterned silk velvet. The height of the collar and the narrowness of the sleeves, cuffs, and coat fronts date this suit to the fourth quarter of the eighteenth century. Suits of this general type were retained for court wear well into the nineteenth century.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80002279?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=suit+french+breeches&pos=20 |
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Elijah Boardman, 1789
Ralph Earl portrayed the richly dressed dry goods merchant Elijah Boardman (1760–1823) in his store in New Milford, Connecticut. His right hand rests on a counting desk protected and decorated by green cloth secured with brass nails. The shelves of the desk house books, including Moore's "Travels," Shakespeare's plays, Milton's "Paradise Lost," Johnson's dictionary, and the "London Magazine" for 1786. Through the open paneled door to the right of the subject, bolts of plain and patterned textiles, including one with a prominently displayed British tax stamp, invite inspection and tell the viewer how Boardman earned a living, just as the books in his desk and the letter in his hand speak of his learning and awareness of culture. Earl also painted Esther Boardman, sister to Elijah (1991.338).
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/20011181 |
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Amos Lawrence by Chester Harding c1848
the subject's dress suggests comfort…Lawrence was sick with a stomach disorder but portrayed as a contented man…he was retired and rich from his dry goods and importing firm. He wears a sumptuous red paisley robe and tasseled turban, showing his wealth…the tartan best was in vogue after an 1842 visit to Scotland by Victoria and Albert. He wears a "stock," the long white neckcloth of a formal riding habit. The turban, slippers and dressing gown signaled he was an invalid, as does his chair.
Robes like this became popular in England and Holland from the mid-17th century, and were often made up of imported Indian chintz fabric, as in this case. Banyans could also be made of Chinese, or sometimes French, silk. Their generically 'oriental' air was part of a wider taste for exotic designs that formed part of the Chinoiserie style.
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O89443/banyan/
Men would have to wear bright colors at home as dark/black dress became the fashion for during the day in the 19th century. “The sumptuously clad aristocrat was soon supplanted as an ideal by the proper gentleman austerely dressed in dark or discreetly striped fabrics. The new dress embodied the ideological justification for and social legitimacy of the bourgeois. Clothing reaffirmed the concepts of modesty, effort, propriety, reserve and self control. They combined a moral rejection with a political rejection of color. Yet bright colors did not totally desert the masculine wardrobe—they survived in vests, barely visible under the coat; and and in dressing gowns, confined to private life.
In 1829 American textile industrialist Amos Lawrence wrote to his son: “Bring home no foreign fancies which are inapplicable to our state of society. It is very common for our young men to come home and appear quite ridiculous in attempting to introduce their foreign fashions. It should always be kept in mind that the state of society is widely different here from that in Europe; and our comfort and character require that it should long remain so.” (week 2 notes)
Categories of 18th c. attire: “full dress” or court dress, “dress” for formal evening wear and “undress” for day wear. [[Of men only]
Undress any thing that fell short of dressed: lack of cravat; periwig;
Undress was worn in the morning, indoors or outdoors (week 1 notes)
Banyan, dressing gowns or morning gowns were worn at work or informally out of doors. The dressing gown was a loose wrap reaching the ground, tied around the waist and without a back vent. It was worn indoors, often for breakfast, in place of a coat over ordinary legwear. With it was worn a nightcap in the form of a domed skull cap with a tassel, and slippers in the form of mules. Silk dressing gowns with Turkish slippers were fashionable. |
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Homespun
1780
Clothing and walking stick of Revolutionary War hero and
Tennessee pioneer Joseph Greer (1754-1831); three-piece suit of blue
linen jeans material lined in plain linen, said to have been spun,
woven, and tailored by his wife, Mary Ann Harmon Greer (1787-1857),
after their marriage in 1811
Homespun Ideology:
To foster independence from foreign sources
Homespun suit belonging to Joseph Greer the man who carried the news of the Patriot victory at Kings Mt., Tenn. to Congress In 1780
Produce at home for personal consumption: produce extra for trade for better goods
Burn fancy clothing was advised by James Davenport
Pursuit of luxury was source of corruption
Also agent of civilization
Homespun needed to address the union of industry, frugality, personality and society.
Civil society relied on energy of independent households
In public homespun was unattractive: 1752 young man refused to wear a jacket of homespun.
Because it was still the sphere of laborers and servants
Of course, the fop was still an object of derision |
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1840
Fawn overcoat with fawn top hat
a combination of two major types of outerwear: the graceful cloak, which was reserved for riding and evening wear, and the comfortable overcoat which was reserved for business.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80097339?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=overcoat&when=A.D.+1800-1900&pos=7
By the 1830s most of the color in men's dress came from the waistcoat. During the 1830s waistcoats, printed or woven to imitate shawl patterns, were popular.
They were made in a variety of fabrics, from checked and striped materials to delicate woven or embroidered patterns. The fabrics were often similar to those on women's fashionable dresses. (week 3 notes)
Greatcoat is a large overcoat typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the short cape around the shoulders provides extra warmth and repels rainwater (if made of a waterproof material). It was popular in the 19th century as a military uniform and casual wear for the wealthy. brought the glamour of military uniform into men's fashionable dress.
The great coat was usually a tightly woven wool melton cloth. The wool fiber is moisture repellent and the tightness of the weave as well as the heavy fulling or brushing would keep the cloth dense and the wearer dry. The great coat of 1800-1840 was an all purpose utility coat. George Washington wore one in the rain before he he died. |
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circa 1815
Pantaloons reaching below the calves
Tailcoat
Hessians
The dress coat, as this style of jacket was originally called in the late 18th century, was worn for day and formal evening occasions, with the exception of court which had its own prescribed dress code. Near the end of the 18th century and the first few decades of the 19th century this style of jacket was paired with contrasting colored knee breeches or trousers and a contrasting vest. By the 1820s, a matching suit, such as this one, was more common. The styles of the 1830s were prescribed by fashionable dandies, such as Alfred Guillaume Gabriel, Count D'Orsay (1801-1852), a French emigrant who had relocated to England in 1829, and influenced artists and writers in wit and dress. The prescribed silhouette was composed of a full chest, often enhanced by padding or multiple vests, and a slim waist, which was frequently achieved through a men's corset, and slim trouser-clad legs. The coat was expected to fit snugly which led to the jacket and tails being cut separately to prevent a crease from forming at the waist. This particularly well tailored ensemble exhibits all the integral qualities of men's wear of the period, even down to the wide lapels which were disseminated by D'Orsay. This style of coat was relegated solely to formal evening wear by the middle of the century and continued in the form of the tail jacket well into the 20th century.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80094842?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=dandy&pos=16
This suit is worn with military-inspired hessian boots. |
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1775-85
Breeches—appropriate for physical labor and horseback riding
The standard main lower body garment for men in the 18th century, with alternatives being petticoat breeches, primarily for sailors, and trousers, for lower class men but spreading to other groups toward the end of the century. Breeches were typically made of woven fabric, with leather (esp. for hunting) and (rarely) knit fabric as alternatives. Fitted clothing generally became tighter as the century progressed, with skin-tight legs being the fashion for breeches for most of the century. To allow the wearer to sit or bend over, breeches were cut loose in the seat; this unsightly bagginess was generally covered by the coat and only revealed by those laboring so hard that they removed their coat, or by men dressed in very lower class garments such as jackets.
Shift from embellished design to finesse of fit to separate from the French mode; The breeches became narrow, knee-length and hidden with front center buttons.
Breeches, the part of our clothing that covers the thighs. They are very difficult to cut correctly, because nowadays, to be well made, we consider that they need to cling to the thighs. The belt is attached behind and buttoned in front. Breeches start at the waist and go down as far as the knees, on the sides of which they are buttoned and tightened by a buckle and a garter. They also have an opening with buttons at the front, below the belt; this opening is called the fly , and has been put there so we can satisfy one of our natural needs without removing our clothes.
Breeches and trousers were worn by both the military and civilians during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The Fly Fronts were more commonly worn up to the 1760's or 70's when, due to the shortening of the waistcoat, fall front breeches became popular to preserve a smooth front line. |
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1820
Breeches making was a trade apart from tailoring because they were commonly made of leather, deer-skin or sheep skin. Leather processing included tanning.
Properties of leather were durability and breeches could be molded to fit.
buckskin:Love of country life, away from the court, and sports such as riding, hunting, racing led to use of woolen cloth coats, unadorned, buckskin breeches, and boots.Leaving the old homestead 1854Americans restless and roaming to acquire property vs. Euro tradition of inherited great estatesMost garments were made of buckskin, carefully tanned. A material which was not only readily available, but it was light and warm and resisted both water and wind. Produced a style of clothing that has become part of the lexis of American dress.Buckskin shirt leather goods hardy, useful, sensible for life in the wilderness; adopted from local natives. Suitable to the terrain
In colonial New England, Indian brain-tanned or oil-dressed deerskin or "buckskin" was often given the name "wash-leather" due to its softness and ease of cleaning. Deerskin, after brain-tanning, kept its natural color, a pleasing shade of ivory, and could be dyed into darker colors. Local deerskin was plentiful and reasonably priced ~ in Hadley, Massachusetts in 1770, for example, skins measuring 12 square feet sold for an average of 14 shillings each, at a time when imported cottons sold for 25 shillings a yard. Venison ~ deer meat ~ was only about 2 pence a pound. One deerskin would provide enough leather for half a pair of breeches, or four to five pair of gloves or mittens. Throughout the 18th century, in the Connecticut River valley, "Breeches were the most common garment made of deer's leather, jackets or waistcoats were numerous; there were leather doublets and coats, and some had a leather suit. A few had wash-leather
stockings, and many had deer skin gloves. Moccasons were made of deer's leather and moose leather." (23)
For some colonial troops, like Rogers' Rangers, leather breeches and/or Indian-style leather leggings and mittens became standard military issue, including the trick of threading a cord through both sleeves to avoid losing them. |
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Men’s Cutaway 1887 2.20.A
The lounging or sack coat with “low roll, gracefully cutaway, with a rounding sweep at bottom [was correct for] business purposes, sea-beach lounging, travelling, &c.” The Dictionary of Men’s Wear defined the Sack Coat as...properly a plain, short [coat], without skirts, either single or double-breasted, made up of two foreparts and a single or divided back part, and with two or more pockets with in-and-out
flaps, tho other varieties of pockets are also employed (as welt, patch, etc.). Also called lounge [coat]. The American Fashion Review and Tailor’s Journal, July 1881, p. 3.
Predecessor of the modern jacket.
William Henry Baker, A Dictionary of Men’s Wear (Cleveland: Wm. Henry Baker 1908), p. 210. (week 3 notes) |
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Hay & Todd Mfg. Co. c 1896
Union suits were made for men and women, and could have had sleeves or thin spaghetti straps. There were wool, cotton and silk blends. There were both knit to shape union suits and cut and sew. Having a one-piece suit would prevent your underwear from bunching up under your clothes.
In the late 1800s Hay & Todd was famous for its one-piece union suits or fine-knit long underwear. The underwear, produced at their woolen mill in Ypsilanti, Mich., was so popular that “Ypsilanti underwear” was synonymous with union suits. |
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c. 1840
Slide: Suit from the V & A for style: 1830 Plaid suit, the use of yarn dyed trousers and ditto suits were popular at the early part of the 19th c. In the collection of the museum at FIT is a 3 piece suit in unmatched checks.
As the 18th century began, the doublet gave way to the new coat and the vest began to evolve into the shorter waistcoat. Breeches, formerly covered by long vests, were then visible and were increasingly cut closer and tighter. Within the first decades of the 18th century a man's suit was recognized as coat, waistcoat, and breeches. At times it was thought fashionable, especially for formal dress, to wear all matching pieces referred to as a "suit in ditto.”
In the middle of the 19th century waistcoats were often colourful. They were made in a variety of fabrics, from checked and striped materials to delicate woven or embroidered patterns. The fabrics were often similar to those used for women's fashionable dresses.
Materials & Making
Tartans and checks with polychromatic effects were favoured in the late 1850s and early 1860s, but such bold patterns were not to everyone's taste. Photographs of the period show that many men preferred to wear a waistcoat made of similar materials to the coat or trousers. Some people wore 'dittos', where the suit was made of one material throughout. Some garments copied authentic examples but others were fancy tartans that no one would recognise.
This very lively plaid of this vest was designed after Scottish tartans which became popular in the 1850s due to Queen Victoria (1837-1901) taking part-time residence at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire,
The gent was given to laud gaudy patterns. [Newcomer p. 51 from Albert Smith, The Natural History of the Gent London: D. Bogue 1847 p. 16]“The Gent could most easily be recognized -from a distance- by his waistcoats, of which he wore two or even three: shrieking tartan over damson-coloured silk over a false roll-collar in flowered satin.” [Moers [.216] |
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Races sartorial art journal June 1898
Depicts 3 styles of mens dress worn by spectators. Sports were popular at this time, including riding in autos, riding horses, camping, golfing, ice skating, yachting, polo. These onlookers are gentlemen of leisure, called “fancys” or fans. The man on the right wears a morning suit with a cutaway and defined waist, and long pants—this look was becoming old fashioned in 1898.
Morning suits, such as this one, were originally adopted by men in the early-19th century for wear during the morning hours when they would go riding. It gained popularity near the end of the century for morning and daytime business activities in addition to riding, supplanting the frock coat which had been relegated to that position since the teens. This style of suit consisted of either a matching ensemble composed of a single-breasted cutaway coat, vest and trousers, or a black single-breasted cutaway coat paired with striped trousers and a complementary vest. Edward VII (1842-1910) popularized the acceptability of the morning suit for daytime formal occasions, which it has maintained to the present day.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80096945?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=%22morning+suit%22&pos=10
The man in the center wears a frock coat, also going out of style at this time.
The man on the left wears a sack suit which was the most current look for this time. |
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1890-1900
The Norfolk jacket was a versatile garment which became an important item in a gentleman's wardrobe. It was originally worn by the Rifle Corps in the Volunteer Movement of 1859-1860 and was adapted for shooting costume during the 1860s. It was initially known as the 'Norfolk shirt' and was at first strictly reserved for country wear.Ownership & Use
With the growth in leisure activities and sporting pursuits during the 1870s and 1880s the Norfolk jacket became acceptable for any form of outdoor exercise, 'being especially suited for bicycling, business, fishing, pleasuring, and the moorland' (Tailor and Cutter, April 1888). Golfing attire was particularly colourful, as this extract from Golf by Horace Hutchinson suggests: In the matter of Norfolk jackets and knickerbockers, spats and particularly coloured stockings, checks and stripes, the golfer is a bird of bright and varied plumage.'This example was probably worn for general country wear. Inside one of the pockets are a piece of paper giving the monthly rainfall for the year 1900, a stamp, metal pin and a piece of string. By the 1890s conventions had become so relaxed that smart young men were seen wearing Norfolk jackets even in the city.
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78848/norfolk-jacket-and/
The norfolk jacker must have a fabric belt of matching cloth. It waspopular first in sports, then city life, then with kids. |
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Paletot 1856
During the second empire the paletot enjoyed an astonishing triumph. It was considered a paradox as it was worn by all classes and was “the garment of the peasant and the sailor.” It’s shape was not attractive but it was quite ample and enveloping, hiding from view other clothing and consequently any signs on status or occupation. It was what might be considered a “neutral” garment, camouflaging what was underneath, though it could be dressed up in fabric, in the richness of the collar, etc. An author of manuals protested that all men would be made to look alike—”try to find a form in this barrel of cloth. Guess if you canwho is the gentleman in this rough, round shell. Is it a Hindu, a Chinese, a Tartar…you cannot tell.” – Eugene Chapus
With the paletot clothing had to be inferred, which permitted a man of the world to dress simply, go out, walk around, make, if necessary, any sort of foray in the simple attire of an ordinary passer-by. It offered a respite in the “War of Appearances.”
-all from Fashioning the Bourgeoisie |
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1848-55
A new style of coat - the frock-coat - was introduced between 1815 and 1820. It had skirts to the knees and buttoned in front. Worn first as informal daywear, the frock-coat soon became the formal day-coat of the 19th century. 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. (week 3 notes)
Originally a: casual garment worn for sport, [in fact, wearing an e. 18th c frock coat as formal wear was unheard of, It was meant to be used in the country] but by 1770- a smart version was used for everyday wear. (Connection with sport and dress) • Love of country life, away from the court, and sports such as riding, hunting, racing led to use of woolen cloth coats, unadorned, buckskin breeches, and boots. French turned the frock coat into silk for more fashionable wear.[
Frock Jacket
Period: 1840s.A very short, single-breasted frock coat just covering the buttocks. By the 1860s the name was applied to a jacket without a seam at the waist or a back seam; collar, and lapels small and cut in one with the forepart.
By the 1840s the SB or DB frock coat dominated he man’s wardrobe. Side bodies were introduced in 1940 to ensure a close fit. The waist was long and the skirts short throughout the decade. Sleeves were close fitting and not gathered at the shoulders.
Formal gentleman's daywear of the later 19th century was usually of black or blue-black wool. The jacket, trousers and waistcoat that comprised the suit could be of one colour and were then known as 'dittos'. Alternatively, a contrasting waistcoat and trousers were often worn to add colour and variety to the outfit. This style continued until the 20th century and became identified as the city business man's suit of black coat, striped trousers and bowler hat (replacing the top hat).Period: 1840s.A very short, single-breasted frock coat just covering the buttocks. By the 1860s the name was applied to a jacket without a seam at the waist or a back seam; collar, and lapels small and cut in one with the forepart. |
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