18th century court suit, back

This ensemble is a good example of the highly embellished and colourful clothes worn by men to the royal court in the 18th Century. The suit is made of extraordinary hand-woven silk, skilfully brocaded (a weaving technique that produces a cloth with a raised design) using silver metallic thread. The pattern is made up of tiny ivory, pink, green and black 'rosebud' spots and alternating thin blue floss silk brocaded bands. In addition the coat has been further embellished at the cuffs, collar, skirt edges and pocket flaps with hand embroidered tulips, stylised roses and leaves, infilled with pink and green foil. The design is outlined with couched (a technique in which the silver thread is laid across the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches) coiled silver metal thread, surrounded by bows and trailing foliage infilled with silver, gold, blue spangles and outlined with couched, gold metal thread. Considerable care has been taken to reflect the same intricate embroidered design onto each one of the buttons.

It would have been an extremely expensive purchase; it is reported that courtiers would mortgage their houses to enable them to pay for their court dress. In the 18th century your dress was your passport for entry into the royal court making it the preserve of only the very wealthy, a comment or invitation from the king or queen could reap life changing rewards.

Towards the end of the 18th century this type of highly embroidered dress for men was considered a less fashionable more formal look, and often associated only with court dress.