1860 Purple waistcoat
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1855-1865 A purple silk waistcoat.
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The back of the waistcoat
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Detail of the foreparts showing two of the buttons
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One of the backstraps showing the buckle; the strap has been sewn together on a chain-stitch machine and hand-sewn to the waistcoat back
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Detail of the left forepart showing the breast pocket
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Detail of the fabric
Description
The silk fabric of the foreparts has a woven pattern of floral sprays and trailing stems in brown on a purple ground.
The waistcoat has a roll collar, and is fastened with five domed buttons and worked buttonholes. The buttons are covered, but not with the waistcoat fabric although their colours blend in; the top three are different from the lower two and all are probably replacements for the originals.
The foreparts each have a welted pocket, the welts being 4¾" long and ⅝" deep; the left forepart has a breast pocket on a slant, with a welt 3⅛" long and ½" deep.
The back is dark brown silesia, with straps sewn on at the waist, to adjust the size, which have a black japanned metal buckle in a style known as a handle without a crossbar.
The waistcoat is lined with cream cotton twill, and the lower edges of the foreparts have dark brown leather facings.
There is padding between the lining and the silk on the upper part of the foreparts, which has become a little lumpy lower down.
Contemporary illustration
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Fashion plate in Gazette of Fashion, November 1855
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Detail from a fashion plate in The West End Gazette, June 1865
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.