From Tailcoat to Frock Coat, 1820-25/1840-59
This coat demonstrates a major alteration to extend its use into at least a third decade. The original cutaway skirt of a tailcoat, the dominant style of the early 1800s, has been filled in here to turn it into a frock coat. Its current cut suggests this was probably done in the 1840s, which could have extended its use into the 1850s. The alterations appear to be done by a tailor, although imperfectly. There is a new lining to the body of the coat, and the stitching is fine. But the piecing is awkward. Both sides have one front piece but the side pieces are made of three or four pieces, each set at a different angle, none of them either straight nor on a perfect bias. The left side’s front skirt appears to be the same fabric as the coat, but its different orientation causes its nap to catch the light in a way that calls attention to the alterations. The right side uses four pieces of a not-quite-matching wool. Nevertheless, although someone in more fashion-conscious levels of society would have bought a new coat, this must have been an acceptable solution for this coat’s less socially elite wearer. Perhaps this practice was more common than surviving garments could testify to.
Wool broadcloth, cotton. DAR Museum 2023.19