Frock Coats of Victoria and Albert Museum - Essay Example

Frock Coats of Victoria And Albert Museum Essay Plan The Victoria and Albert museum of London is one of the world's biggest museum. Although there are many museums in London e,g: The natural history museum, the science museum, the bank of England museum, but the primary focus of this paper will be on different features of the Victoria and Albert museum. There is a large collection of items in museum such as Asian and Europian architecture, British gallaries, ceramics, jewlery, furniture, glass, metalwork, paintings, drawings, photographs, books, sculptures and textiles. In this paper we will discuss about the dresses and styles of the Edwardarian erra. Amongst the dresses we will focus on not only the dresses of ladies but also on the dresses of men and children. Other then the dresses, what other accessories were required to be considered as a stylish person at that time, would also be discuussed. Different colours that were considered suitable for men and women of the Edwardarian era would also be discussed. How different fashions evolved over time would also be the focus of the topic. We will discuss about the dresses for different times of the day e.g dresses for morning, night dresses. Amongst the costumes collectd in the Victoria and Albert museum, frock coats will be considered for discussion. All other collectins will not be explained in detail. There is a large amount of history associated with arts and cultures of the A&V museum however only the historical background of frock coats will be given. The fashion of frock coats was firstly used in the 1901. what fashions and styles were acceptable in 1900's and before 1900's will also be discussed. Era of Frock Coats Frock coats emerged in 1816. It is said that they originated from a garment called the "frock" which was the usual clothing in the eighteenth century. The colour of a frock coat was originally solid black. Nevertheless it was not a standard therefore in the Victorian era, charcoal grey also became a popular colour for frock coats. The length of the skirt of the frock coat also changed for different era's e.g during the Victorian era and Edwardian era1. This change was in accordance with the fashion. The conventional length of the frock coats became the length up to the knees but as the fashion trends changed, different people followed the latest trends of longer or shorter frock coats to wear. The cut of a frock coat with a waist seam flatters a man's figure, as opposed to a sack coats, and such frock coats remain part of some uniforms of military. They can either be single-breasted as in army uniforms, or double-breasted as in navy uniforms. In the Lithuanianyeshiva world, many prominent figures wear a black frock coat also known as a kapotteh (accompanied by either a Homburg or Fedora hat) as formal wear.Before the Edwardian era, the fabric for Empire dresses was usually fine white lawn, muslin or batiste. Although muslins were less costly than silks, good white work embroidered lawn fabrics still cost money. Muslin also laundered better than silks, but the white muslins still needed a great deal of attention to keep them looking pristine clean. Regular wearing of white gowns was a sign of social status as white soiled so easily1. White gowns generally were kept for evening and in the day pastel or colored robes were thought more suitable. 1 Victorian Trading Co. Fashion. 2007. Net2 Business. May 2, 2008 The Spencer was a short top coat without tails worn by men during the 1790s as an extra covering over the tailed coat. It had long sleeves and was frequently decorated with military frogging.Its originator is thought to be Earl Spencer who singed the tails of his coat when standing beside a fire. He then had the tails trimmed off and started a fashion.A female version was soon adopted by gentlewomen who at the time were wearing the thin light muslin dresses of the 1790s2. The Spencer was worn as a cardigan is worn today. It was a short form of jacket to just above waist level cut on identical lines to the dress. The Redingote was worn from 1818 onwards initially indoors in cold weather, worn openwhilst revealing the dress beneath.Its name derives from the 18th century version of a riding coat. It was used in place of a loose cloak and as it developed a series of shoulder capes it became very suitable for travel. As dresses widened so the Redingote widened. Redingotes were usually trimmed with fur and mostly made of heavy dark cloth.Having liberated women by putting them into pants, another fashion came then for designing a hobble skirt which drew the legs closely together as it was so narrow. To increase the hobble effect women needed to wear a 'fetter', a kind of bondage belt that held the ankles together and prevented the wearer from making any movements other than small steps.At the same time the V neck for daywear was introduced and it was thought so shocking that it was denounced from the pulpit. The period of 1901 to 1910 is called the Edwardian Era after Queen Victoria's successor, King Edward VII3. 3 Edward Ian Gaiety. Dressing the Edwardian man. May 2, 2008 2 History in the Making. Morning and Prince Albert Coats. This era is remembered as the most beautiful time period, because there was a large amount of interest developed towards classical beauties. London society in the Edwardian Era was dominated by the King. The legend that surrounds the era is primarily due to the influence of Edward VII. He was a man not only larger than life, but with a never satisfied appetite for a wide variety of indulgences from wine to women. If it is said that Edwardian Britain belonged to some other world, it will not be considered wrong because it was a period of really beautiful costumes and fashions. People were at the peak of their luxurious lives. By 1900 the suits made by tailors were very solidly established. The ladies who were entering in a practical and commercial areas, considered them as the most useful outfit. Middle and upper class women wore the tailor made suits with shirtwaist blouses. Tailor made suits were considered as the best for traveling purposes. After a decade or so these costumes became much more versatile and modernized with a difference being made between the different types of cloth to be used for different occasions. Lighter weighted cloths were used in tailor made outfits suitable for weddings and heavier weighted clothes were used for everyday or country wear suits. Traveling suits also soon became necessary because cars at that time were also the fashion so the people who had the cars used to travel long distance. But the problem was that these cars were usually opened, and so they created an environment with a lot of dust because of the bad conditions of roads. So for traveling, the ladies' traveling suits along with loose topcoats of leather were worn by ladies. As compared to women's fashions, the traditions for men's clothing changed less frequently4. 4 Thomas Hope. V&A. The only change with the passing of time was of small details such as a new cut to trousers, a jacket with a bit difference in shape and so on. Colors for men wearings remained dark; the only things allotted for color were the waistcoat, the sweater and the tie. Nevertheless with the rise of sports and games such as cricket, hunting, football and others, there came the introduction of sportswear. Usually men used to wear one or three button cutaway frock coats, or the single or double breasted loose dress which was a straight lined jacket. The average width of the pants' leg was 22 inches at the bottom. This dress gave a neat look, an elaborative look, worn with a bowler hat and high collar with bow tie. Overcoats were generally worn short, at knee length3. The Boys and youngsters used to wear three piece suits for dress or evening, the three piece suits consisted of coat, vest and knee pants which were tight fitting and usually made with 'double knees'. According to the fashions of that time, different dresses were required for morning and evening times. For day time, morning dress was must. This dress consisted of a morning coat, which was almost always single-breasted, of wool or cheviot and its colour would be black or iron-gray; a waistcoat, which could be either single or double breasted, which would match the coat or would be of a lighter color; striped trousers (trousers of wool); a short and wide strip of fabric round the neck; and a silk hat5. The frock coat, a double-breasted, knee-length coat of black or dark gray wool, was usually worn on formal morning occasions, though by the time of Edwardian era, it was more often seen on elderly men. By the 1900s, both the morning coat and frock coat were beginning to be replaced by the lounge jackets. 5 Tara Maginnis. The Customer's Manifesto. 2008. These jackets were generally high of neck, with short lapels and double-breasted, the front curved away at the bottom.For evening, men's clothes were usually composed of a black dress coat, white waistcoat and trousers matching the coat. The dress coat was used to be double-breasted with a cut-away front and two tails at the rear. In the year 1900, the tails were of knee length and the front cut away square at the waist, with two or three buttons on each front. The sleeves would end plain or with a cuff, also containing two or three buttons. The choice to wear the dinner jacket was also given if dressing for dinner at home or at some club. This dinner jacket was worn with a white shirt and a dark tie. As the era progressed, the dinner jacket was increasingly cut on the lines of a lounge jacket, and from it emerged the "tuxedo". The word "tuxedo" is an American term; the Continental term for it is "Monte Carlo". Due to the increasing fondness for lounge suits, sport jackets, Norfolk shooting jackets with front and back pleats, and knickerbockers in loud tweeds, there came a greater importance on comfort, and a greater obsession with sports. This was the particularly the period of polo, cricket, shooting and hunting, and in the 1890s, such new sports such as tennis, football, golf and motoring. And as there is no doubt that each sport required its own set of clothing. Knits and tweeds were popular, with the color white most used for yachting, golf, tennis, cricket and polo. For the purpose of cycling, shooting and golf, knickerbockers and plus-fours, that are a type of loose knee-breeches fastened at the knee with a band were mostly considered, and for rowing.Typical outwear consisted of the Chesterfield, which was a single-breasted coat of herringbone tweed with velvet collar; the ulster, which was a bit less-fashionable coat with shoulder capeor hood generally worn for travel. It also consisted of the Raglan overcoat, which was a long and full coat of waterproof material, made up with side seams to allow access to trouser pockets; the Inverness cape, which is a waterproof coat with a cape-like front composed of two "wings" taking the place of sleeves and covering the arms, made of fur or fur-lined for motoring; and mackintoshes, a raincoat of rubber, tweed, cotton etc. The trench coat, which was made up of gabardine, was invented by Thomas Burberry in 1901 as an alternative to the heavy serge greatcoats worn by British and French officers. Although it was not in widespread use until the Great War, it was an optional piece included in a typical officer's kit.Hats also showed their importance with change of fashion and time. Casual hats that were used for the day included the Homburg, a stiff felt hat with a dented crown and turned-up silk-bound brim; the Trilby, that was of a similar shape to Homburg but with a softer felt; and the Derby, with either curved or flat sides. The top or silk hat was worn with the frock coat, morning coat and evening dress, but as the frock coats and mourning coats were replaced by the lounge suit, the top hat was less seen in the streets; the boater, a flat-brimmed, flat-crowned straw hat worn in the summer; and the opera hat,which was also known as a "Gibus" after its inventor. This hat was of corded silk or merino and the crown supported by a spiral spring that enabled the hat to flattened and fold quite flat.The "tooth-pick", a shoe of black or tan with a long pointed toe, was worn, despite of the fact that boots were correct for dress wear. From 1910 on, shoes became more popular than boots and about this year, the American Boston, or bull-dog toe was introduced. This had a blunt round toe with a bulge that was pointed upwards. Accessories for men included gloves, spats, scarves, umbrellas, walking sticks and various items of jewelry. Gloves were essential for town wear, of tan kid for day, and suede or fabric were considered essential for evenings. Scarves were of knitted silk or wool; some plainly colored some striped. Spats of drill or box-cloth were usually of three colours: black, drab or white, and covered the top of shoe and ankle, fastened with four buttons and a strap and buckle under the foot. The umbrella, when tightly rolled, doubled for a walking stick, and during the 1890s, became a fashionable substitute for it. Walking sticks of malacca and rattan were favorites for use in towns, with crook, crutch or straight handles, very often mounted with silver bands and tips. Some sticks cleverly held in their recesses pencils, cigarettes, flasks, pipes or even devices for measuring the height of horses. Watches were of the pocket type, open faced, half-hunter and full-hunter cases (with the glass protected by a metal cover; the half-hunter had a circular cut-out in the middle of the cover, the hour chapters engraved around it; the hands could be partially seen through this cut out)6. These were made up of gold, silver, nickel and oxidized steel. Matching Albert chains passed across the waistcoat, through a chain-hole, and the watch was placed in one pocket, the other end of the chain in the other. Pins of the watches were of gold for ties and scarves, and made in many shapes. In gold or silver also, were cigarette cases and visiting card cases7. Leather wallets, note cases (for pound notes) and purses were also worn by men. Some other accessories were cuff links, key-rings, silver match-boxes, petrol and tinder lighters, cigar and cigarette holders of meerschaum or amber, and pipes and tobacco pouches were carried from time to time8. 6 Ziggy. The History of Fashion: 1900 - 1910. April 4, 2008. Sugar Inc 7 Newswire Today. The Victoria and Albert Museum Goes Mobile with Museum On the Go. February 12, 2008. Mauren 8 Maria Elena Diaz. The Satiric Penny Press for Workers in Mexico, 1900-1910: A Cast Study in the Politicisation of Popular Culture. 1990. Cambridge University Press. Bibliography Victorian Trading Co. Fashion. 2007. Net2 Business. May 2, 2008 www.Fashionera.com Edward Ian Gaiety. Dressing the Edwardian man. May 2, 2008 http://www.edwardianpromenade.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/dressing-the-edwardian-man Thomas Hope. V&A. May 2, 2008 http://www.vam.ac.uk/ Tara Maginnis. The Customer's Manifesto. 2008. Fashion Links of Edwardian Era (1901-1911). May 2, 2008 www.costumes.org/history/100pages/1900links.htm Ziggy. The History of Fashion: 1900 - 1910. April 4, 2008. Sugar Inc. May 2, 2008 www.teamsugar.com/1535251 Newswire Today. The Victoria and Albert Museum Goes Mobile with Museum On the Go. February 12, 2008. Mauren. May 2, 2008 www.newswiretoday.com/news/29938/ History in the Making. Morning and Prince Albert Coats. May 3, 2008 http://www.historyinthemaking.org/catalogue/mencost1885-1910.html Maria Elena Diaz. The Satiric Penny Press for Workers in Mexico, 1900-1910: A Cast Study in the Politicisation of Popular Culture. 1990. Cambridge University Press. May 3, 2008 http://www.jstor.org/pss/157467 Kingwood College Library. American Cultural History: The Twentieth Century. 1910-1919. 2006. LoneStar College Kingston. May 3, 2008 http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade10.html Read More