Wondrous Waistcoats: Beauty in Menswear – 18th and 19th Centuries
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By: Anna-Maria Hand
Menswear has seen drastic changes in style and cut over the past three centuries. Waistcoats and vests are probably the garment that was and still is the most decorated part of the suit. The 18th and 19th centuries the waistcoat and vest saw many different colors, accents, and patterns.
In the 18th century, men would be outfitted in a suit with a long coat, breeches, stockings, and a long skirted waistcoat. The suits were made of silk, or velvet, and had ornate printed or woven designs. Waistcoats were typically embroidered in some way to further exude the extravagance of the suit. The colors of the suits could vary anywhere from a chestnut brown to red, to pale blue. As the century went on, the waistcoats became shorter, and simpler in design. They were still embroidered, but lacked the design opulence of their earlier counterparts. Pictured below are three 18th century waistcoats from the MdHS collection.
We were very fortunate when accessioning these waistcoats and vests because most of them had little notes stashed in the pockets detailing the provenance. The waistcoat on the bottom left had one of these notes that said it was embroidered by Anne Brooke for her husband, William Hammond Dorsey for their wedding in March of 1790. The waistcoat on the bottom right was found with a small note tucked in the pocket which only said “Dr. Upton Scott”. More research will have to be done on the provenance of this particular waistcoat to see if it really belonged to the famous Annapolis doctor.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the cut of the mens suit changed drastically. The coat was short in the front and long in the back, and the waistcoat was cut to the waist rather than to the hip. The colors took a more neutral turn towards tan, navy, white and black. Wool and linen were a more common choice of outerwear. The only part of the man's suit that continued to stand out was the waistcoat and the vest. Silk, and velvet were used for waistcoat materials along with embroidery, damask and brocade weaves, and bright colors.
The top left waistcoat is donated by the John Ridgely estate from Hampton House. The vest on the upper right was made by Miss Clara Maria Brune for George William Brown for their marriage in 1839. The vest on the bottom had the owners name and date written on the upper left hand side, “Hiram Woods, June 1st, 1852.
Today, the three-piece suit is really only worn for special occasions, but the vest continues to be the part of the suit that stands out.
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