1900s Striped waistcoat

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1900s Striped waistcoat
Date 1900-1910
Category Men
Item Waistcoat
Fabric Silk
Decoration Braid
Wearer -
Maker -
Acc. no. HC.W-6.91-1

1900-1910 A waistcoat in striped silk.

The waistcoat mounted

Description

The fabric of the foreparts has an ivory silk warp and weft, with additional warp threads of a heavier twisted silk in ivory, three shades of orange, and black, arranged as shaded stripes about 1⅛" wide; these are held by pairs of weft threads spaced about ⅛" apart.

The waistcoat is fastened by six removable abalone buttons (the lowest one does not match the others), secured behind by rings through their shanks, which are concealed under the right-hand side forepart facing; the inner edge of this is attached to the waistcoat in only two places with stitches spaced down it.

The facings and hem of the foreparts are in a textured weave silk, and cream plaited silk braid makes the ¼" wide forepart edgings.

There are two pockets each side, the breast pockets are 4" wide and the lower ones are 4¾"; their edges are bound with the cream plaited braid.

The waistcoat is lined with ivory cotton twill; the back is in a fine cream wool twill, and has straps sewn into the side seams, 2½" up from the hem, with a silvery metal buckle for adjusting the waist size. The buckle is marked Prima, and E. Armfield & Co. Edward Armfield established his business in Birmingham in about 1763, and was listed as a button maker there in 1783. The company flourished making livery and other crested buttons, and continued into the 20th century.

Contemporary illustrations

Contemporary items

1900s White cotton blouse

1900s Women's stiff collars

1903 Printed muslin dress

1906 Alpaca coat

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.