Suit

This gentleman's cut velvet suit dates from the 1740s. It consists of a coat, waistcoat and breeches and was probably made in England or Ireland.

The pattern is a stylised leaf design and the buttons are self-covered. In this suit the waistcoat is sleeveless but this did not become general until the 1750s.

Small-patterned silks and velvets like this one were very popular for men's suits in the 1740s and 50s. In the 1740s, the jacket skirts became less full and the sleeve cuffs smaller. Men's breeches in this period hung from the hips with a deep band at the top and a flap across the centre-front opening, known as a 'fall front'.

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