Man's Waistcoat

Clothing and Dress

Man's Waistcoat

ca. 1835 - 1840

Length: 22 inches. (55.8 cm)
Waist : 32 inches. (81.2 cm)

This is a double-breasted waistcoat with a shawl collar. It has two welt pockets on either side towards the bottom and a small welt pocket on the left breast. Short darts at each armscye give the waistcoat a slightly puffed upper torso. The front of the waistcoat is made of gold brocade with a design of three intercoiled circles and a small diamond. The back of the vest is a plain fabric in a similar color. The front is lined with a natural plain weave. The front bottom edges are reinforced with pieces of dark brown leather. Six fabric-covered buttons and an adjustable band at the back complete the garment. The garment is hand sewn.

According to Susan North, shawl collars became more common during the 1820s. The waistcoat was an opportunity to add decorative elements to men's increasingly plain wardrobes. The vest's padding and darts add contour to the garment that creates the "pigeon breast" shape which was popular at the time.

This waistcoat was reportedly worn by the donor's great-grandfather, Amos Pollard, and likely paired with a frock coat or tailcoat. However, genealogy websites reveal that Amos Pollard was the donor's great uncle. Her great-grandfather died in 1835, which would help date the garment if it in fact belonged to him.

Comparable waistcoats can be found in other collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

References

North, Susan. “From Neoclassicism to the Industrial Revolution: 1790-1860.” In The Fashion Reader, edited by Linda Welters and Abby Lillethun, 50–63. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2022. 

“Waistcoat.” Met Museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed December 2, 2022. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/90933

“Waistcoat.” Met Museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed December 2, 2022. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/91056

Donor: Olive T. Draper ( Mrs. Elwyn Draper)

URI 1953.01.18

Payton Becker