Coat

Thick wool fabric lends a sculptural quality to the ‘mariner’s cuff’ on this strictly utilitarian garment. Such a style of cuff was first seen on the coats worn by naval officers in the 1740s (navy uniform was not made official until 1748) and became a popular feature of both men’s fashionable coats and ladies’ riding jackets. A vertical opening with a scalloped flap runs parallel to the length of the sleeve and intersects the cuff.

The lack of any decoration except a brown velvet collar reinforces the coat’s informality. Its grey-brown shade suggests that it might be the colour known in the 18th century as ‘drab’. A label sewn to the inside collar indicates that this coat once belonged to the 19th-century theatrical costumiers, L & H Nathan, where it experienced a second life, no doubt one more arduous, on the stage.