fripperiesandfobs:Suit, 1755-65From the Metropolitan Museum of ArtThis is a nice looking suit, and I
fripperiesandfobs:Suit, 1755-65From the Metropolitan Museum of ArtThis is a nice looking suit, and I’d just like to add that the buttons are later replacements. There should be only two at the back, not four. Only the ones at the bottoms of the side seams where the pleats start would have been there originally. The ones under the pocket flaps are also positioned much too low, and zooming in on some of the images on the source page I can see that they’ve got some kind of metal or possibly plastic backing, which is not what you’d see on the back of 18th century covered buttons. (And the spacing! Did they even try to get them even with the buttonholes? The lowest buttonhole is level with the second lowest button!)My best guess is that maybe it was altered and worn as a theatre or fancy dress costume sometime in the 19th or 20th century? That sort of thing happened a lot.The waistcoat is a prop, presumably made by museum staff for display purposes. It’s too short, and zooming in on the visible edge of that pocket flap it looks decidedly machine sewn. I don’t think it even has any buttonholes at all. The bow at the neck isn’t accurate either. This would most likely have been worn with a plain stock, or a long neckcloth tied in a simple knot.Museum display people, please hire me, I could do so much better than this! -- source link
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#extant garments#18th century#1760's#alterations#fashion#history