1775 Pink silk waistcoat
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1770-1780 A waistcoat in pink silk
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The back of the waistcoat
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Detail showing the lower part of the foreparts
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Detail showing the pocket opening under the flap
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Detail showing one of the buttons
Description
The silk of the foreparts is in an ottoman weave with vertical stripes in a chevron pattern.
The waistcoat is lined with ivory fustian, and the back is covered with thin pale pink silk, which is felled to the back all the way round its edges and was probably added later. It has a centre back seam which has been been felled together with the stitches holding it down to the lining, where there is a dart down the centre back, starting 5¾" down from the neck edge. The back skirts are in the main silk, and they are pieced with diagonal seams running from the tops to the bottom outside corners.
The waistcoat is trimmed with silver and silver gilt braid, ⁵⁄₁₆" wide, which goes round the forepart neck edges, down the fronts and round the lower edges. It also goes round the shape of the pockets and the lower edge of the pocket flaps. The forepart front edges are faced with cream silk which has a diagonal rib, and this lines the front and back skirts and the pocket flaps.
There are twelve buttons down the front and buttonholes worked in pink silk. The buttons are covered with a fabric made of silver filé woven with cotton, and decorated with silver gilt purl.
Contemporary illustration
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Portrait of Francis Lind by George Romney, c.1775
Contemporary items
More waistcoats from the Hopkins Collection can be seen in Waistcoats, published by The School of Historical Dress and available from the Hopkins Costume Trust bookshop.