Description:
Man's black frock coat with high collar in "superfine" wool broadcloth, padded and lined with silk, and with wooden self-fabric covered buttons. Cleverly designed to slenderize, this basic item of men's outward appearance told everyone who saw its that the wearer was a man of exquisite taste, refined judgement, and conservative politics. Similar coats in colored and striped silk were popular throughout Europe and American in this period. This example is a prelude to the future when nearly every man was destined to wear black for the next century or more. Broadcloth was a sought-after fabric for men’s clothing in the 18th century. More practical than silk, it nevertheless could be an expensive choice, costing several pounds per yard at the time this coat was worn. This example would have been a better-quality garment owned by a man of some means. Hampshire County probate evidence, listing clothing owned by deceased inhabitants, suggests men in this area owned on average three coats. Those made of broadcloth appear infrequently, suggesting a rarity caused by a higher price.
1. Broadcloth, an exceptionally fine woolen fabric made from merino sheep, was used construct this coat. After weaving the fabric, it underwent a process known as fulling, where moisture and agitation napped the scratchy wool fibers, locking them together. This process eliminates the problem of fraying at the fabric edges, allowing for cut edges to be left raw and unhemmed (see coat tail). Fulling also helped to make wool water repellant.
2. Tailoring involves more than just measuring and cutting. It also involves knowing how to fit the final garment to the wearer, and making adjustments along the way. A good tailor (who was almost always male) knew the proper shape a coat should take, and could make up for imperfections in the human body. To fill out the chest and upper back areas, the tailor used padding.
3. The coat has the gently curving front edges required by fashion at the end of the 18th century. To achieve that aim, the tailor cut and shaped (using
heat) the raw edges of this coat. By the early 19th century, the style became so exaggerated that the actual removal of cloth was required in front, creating the cut-away tailcoat.
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