1900s Striped waistcoat
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1900-1910 A waistcoat in striped silk.

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The back of the waistcoat
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Detail of the front showing a button
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Detail showing one of the pockets
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Detail inside the front edge under the facing showing the rings holding the removable buttons
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The front and back of the buckle on the backstrap
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
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Detail from a cartoon in Punch, November 1905
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Deatil from a cartoon in Punch, April 1907, showing an assistant in a men's outfitters.
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.