Court Suit

This suit dates to the time of James Monroe's second diplomatic mission to France (1803-1805). He wore it during visits to the court of Napoleon Bonaparte, including the latter's coronation as Emperor of France on December 2, 1804. While the suit is one of the finest that Monroe ever owned, and is extravagent in both decoration and materials, it is still far less ostentatious than what most men at court wore at the time. Monroe's preference for plain, simple clothing was well known, and even when trying to fit in to the French social world he remained reserved in his fashion choices.