Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
By the mid-19th century, the frock coat was considered an essential part of a man's wardrobe. Unlike the cutaway front of the tailcoats popular at the beginning of the century, frock coats had straight skirts that fell at the mid-thigh or below all the way around. Although they were made of a variety of fashionable fabrics, black wool was probably the most common material. Frock coats worn with straight trousers, a short vest, and a shirt with a high collar formed the basic man's “business suit” of the 19th century.