Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
In the 1840s, the fashionable male silhouette called for broad shoulders and a narrow waist. When nature needed a little assistance, padding was added to a garment to allow the wearer to achieve the stylish barrel-shaped ideal. In order to make it easier to adjust the fit of vests to create the nipped-in waist look, many makers began to develop improved fasteners in the 1830s and 1840s, some using buckles and others employing elastic, invented in 1820. This vest has areas of wool padding inserted between the fashion fabric and the lining material, and rear straps fitted with an adjustable metal buckle. The satin fabric with its small woven yellow pattern would have provided a bit of brightness in comparison to the drab wool frock coat and trousers with which the vest would have been worn.