Coat

Unknown

ca. 1845 · cotton · Costume Institute

A form of the word "seersucker" in 1757 is first cited by the Oxford English Dictionary as "sirsakas." By this time, the light Indian fabric of crimped or puckered surface was being imported into Europe. Later, it would be imitated in European and American manufacture, its lax and washable cotton fabric becoming favored for menswear and children's clothing. A summer frock coat of this kind assumes the same cut as a wool coat, distilling at this time into black or gray, for winter.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1845

Medium

cotton

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Gifts from Various Donors Fund, 1984