King Gustav III's Jacket

Jacket worn by King Gustav III on 24 April 1778 when he announced his dress reform. The National Dress, as it was called, consisted of a short jacket, a sash, a vest, breeches and a "spanish" cape. The dress' colour differed depending on the wearer's status or office and, sometimes, on the location where it was worn. The standard dress was black with red trimmings and facings. According to the statues the dress should only be made out of Swedish fabric, but the fabric and trimmings for this jacket were ordered from Paris and mounted in Stockholm.