Morning vest

Unknown

1850–59 · silk, cotton, linen, wool · Costume Institute

Waistcoats and vests of the 18th and 19th centuries served as a layer protection and ornamentation during a period in fashion when the coat was intended to be left open in the front. The color was often chosen to complement the suit and covered in imaginative embroideries, heavily woven patterns or shiny satins made to draw the eye. The style of the neck, the length and the hem treatment fluctuated as the tastes changed from over-sized coats of the early 18th century to narrow tightly fitted coats of the late 18th century and onward. This very lively plaid of this vest was designed after Scottish tartans which became popular in the 1850s due to Queen Victoria (1837-1901) taking part-time residence at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The vest has a woman's touch with the delicate feminine buttons and a seamstress's sensibility for economy saving tricks such as piecing at the shoulder.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1850–59

Medium

silk, cotton, linen, wool

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of E. McGreevey, 1948