Coat

Iridescent blue and green ribbed silk add a luxurious quality to this plain frock coat of the late 1780s. The most fashionable coat styles for men featured fronts curving sharply back, a high turned-down collar, long tight sleeves. By the 1780s the side pleats had moved towards the centre back seam, and were much less voluminous than in previous decades.

The cuffs were narrower and shallower than those of the mid 18th century. These have a slit with an attached flap, but the buttons have been stitched through to the sleeve and there are no buttonholes. By the 1780s, slit cuffs were no longer functional but this decorative sleeve finishing remains a feature of men's suit jackets today.