Waistcoat

By the 1780s waistcoats had lost their skirts and were cut straight across at the lower hem, for all but evening and Court dress. A small collar appeared, echoing the development of the coat collar, and by the 1790s it had grown to the generous size seen here, with large revers (lapels). The double-breasted style, in both coats and waistcoats, was also a fashion that began in the 1780s. A network of violet and cream-coloured silk ribbons has been applied to this waistcoat, with buttons embroidered in the same colours to match.