Era on this damaged waist coat/vest?

amandainvermont

amandainvermont

VFG Member
Age and wear make this a display piece. The collar is badly worn and the back and lining has age spots.
 

Attachments

  • oldoldold.jpg
    oldoldold.jpg
    118.6 KB · Views: 289
  • oldback.jpg
    oldback.jpg
    102.5 KB · Views: 311
  • oldclose.jpg
    oldclose.jpg
    134.5 KB · Views: 304
Men's garments are always a challenge when they are this old. It appears to be a lovely wool flannel or similar wool (not the flannel of modern times) with silk ? embroidery and a cotton or linen back. I am most familiar with this embroidered wool as used for infant's and children's robes, cloaks, etc. in the mid to late Victorian era. While I can only guess at the date, I feel it is late Victorian era, possibly mid Victorian.

It is really a special looking vest. I also wonder if this was for wedding, worn by the groom?

Can you show the buttons, or describe them front and back and tell us what they are made of? Do you think the buttons are original to the vest?
 
I do think it's 19th century...

Can't find pictures of the one I had that actually had the wedding date on it--think I sold that one in the Waltham shop. But the one below belonged to G.W.Fargo, a Baptist minister and abolitionist who tried his hand at sericulture (ie homemade silk!) in the mid 1840s. Because of his bio, I've assumed it's c 1850s-60s, and the silhouette isn't so different from yours...

gwfargo1.jpg

gw%20fargo%202.jpg


This link has some good period fashion illustrations showing men's mid 19th century shawl collared waistcoats:
Code: 
http://www.victoriana.com/waistcoat/
 
Last edited:
I don't find dating vests an easy task, however, the lack of a buckle in the back suggests to me an earlier than later date. Definitely pre 1860, but how much pre I wouldn't want to venture. The paisley pattern embroidery suggests to me 1840s-50s when that motif was so popular, but the workmanship is a bit crude for then, I would have expected a finer embroidery work but it might have been mass produced embroidery for export - pre-embroidered yardage from Turkey or India...
 
I agree with early 1850s, especially with the tie back. Jonathan is right, that tied back predates buckles and is a good indicator of age. I think these white on white vests were formal wear, often wedding wear?

Here's one I had with a dated buckle of 1856:

1856vest.jpg


And here's an earlier plain pique one I estimated at 1810s - 1820s with a lace up back.

1810swaistcoat.jpg
 
Last edited:
I was hoping you would show up Hollis - I had the feeling you would have experience in these... The one thing that held me back from going earlier than the 1850s is the shortness of the body - I think of 1840s-early 50s vests as longer waisted, and shorter vests as late 50s-60s. I suspect its a transition piece between the buckle-less longer bodied vests and the shorter bodied, buckled vests -- a bit of both - probably contemporary to your 1856 vest, maybe a year or so earlier?
 
Oh yes, I agree there could be some transition there - the body cut and style does seem later than the tied back with the godet panel would indicate. Those backs are around early - in the 1820s - 30s - 40s. Actually, I had a 1790s waist coat with that tie back as well.

So I wondered about earlier - 1830s - but the collar stand doesn't seem high enough. If it were mine, I'd go with 1850 - 54ish, and note how hard it is to date vests!
 
Does the fact that it has a second tie back at about the shoulder blades reflect anything about the age? And thanks so much for all your help. In the button pix I was trying to show the shanks, not the buttons themselves. They are round, not cylindrical.
 
All I have to say is that if I ever get married again I'm wearing something like that a la Bianca Jagger! So beautiful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top