1830s Waistcoat
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1830-1840 Striped silk waistcoat.
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The back of the waistcoat
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Detail of one side of the waistcoat showing the edge of the pocket welt and the dart into the side seam; the bottom of the inserted cotton can be seen at the top of the image.
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Detail of the back of the collar showing the inserted pieces at the centre
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Detail of the fabric
Description
The silk fabric of the foreparts has polychrome stripes with various woven patterns on them, and the waistcoat is cut on the bias so that the stripes are diagonal, with an attempt to align them across the centre front and the pocket welts.
The collar is cut separately from the lapels which are extensions of the forepart facings; the collar is lined with fawn cottton twill. Pockets on each forepart have welts along the tops whih are are 4½" long and ⅝" deep, and their lower edge is set into horizontal darts which go into the side seams.
The forepart front edges have six self covered buttons and worked buttonholes.
The waistcoat is lined with the fawn cotton twill and this also forms the back; tabs of a more gingery cotton, about 5¼" long, are sewn into the side seams at the back waist where they are 3¼" wide narrowing to 2" at their ends. They are attached to the back with a line of vertical stitching, 3¼" in from the left side and 3¾" from the right, and the ends are boned with three brass eyelets on each for lacing, but the lace is missing.
The waistcoat has been let out with a piece of the darker cotton inserted in the centre back seam, 2¾" wide at the back neck tapering to nothing 4⅝" above the lower edge. This piece extends up under the collar which has two inserted pieces of the silk on its right side. The sides of the foreparts also have 2" wide pieces of the darker cotton sewn into the seams from below the armhole, 3½" long on the left, 3⅞" on the right.
Contemporary illustrations
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Fashion plate in Le Follet, may 1832
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Fashion plate in Le Follet, August 1832
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Fashion plate in Le Petit Courrier des Dames, 1840
History
A patent for metallic eyelets was taken out by Thomas Rogers in 1823, and in Paris Pierre Bonduceau took out a similar patent for their use “for stays and other purposes” in 1829. They were more durable than the hand-sewn eyelets already being used on the lacing tabs.
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.