Waistcoat

Status

Not on view

Label Text

Throughout his life George Washington took a keen interest in fashion. This standing collar and false double-breasted front of this finely embroidered silk waistcoat represented the height of style in the 1780s. In an effort to preserve the waistcoats' utility, it was later cut down and the collar adjusted and fitted with lapels to conform to the "handsome" fashions of the 1790s.

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Datec. 1775-1785; c. 1795 altered

Geography Possibly made - FrancePossibly made - England

Medium/TechniqueSilk, linen, iron, wood

DimensionsOverall (H x W): 20 1/2 in. × 18 1/4 in. (52.07 cm × 46.36 cm)

Credit LinePurchase, 1964

Object numberW-2446

DescriptionA man's false double-breasted and square-cut waistcoat with a standing collar of green and brown changeable silk embroidered with polychrome feathers and flora. The left-hand buttoning waistcoat closes with ten buttons fashioned from pieces of the silk stitched over wood disks. Each button has a corresponding button hole that is edged in green silk thread. The front panels also feature two straight welt pockets, one on either side. The front panels are anchored to a plain linen ground that both line the garment and provide the shape of waistcoat. The two back panels are made of the same linen fabric and are almost fully joined along the length of the seam, leaving a small vent at the center back. In addition, four plain woven tapes are sewn on either side of the center seam, in two vertical rows of two.

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