Waistcoat

In the 19th century waistcoats tended to be one of the more elaborate and colourful pieces of the male wardrobe, which is partly why they survive in relatively large numbers. They might also have been kept for their decorative quality or for sentimental reasons when they went out of fashion.

Floral designs such as this were fashionable in the 1840s and 1850s. In this example a delicate pattern of vine leaves and speedwell is jacquard-woven in blue and cream giving a variety of textural effects.

This is a double-breasted waistcoat with buttoned-back lapels, a style that became popular in the 1850s for morning or walking attire. The waistcoat can be dated by the base of the foreparts, which are lined with leather, a feature that only appeared from 1845 to 1855.