Colonial Revival Uniform Coat
Clothing MakerMade by
Holz & Son
(American)
MakerButtons made by
D. Klein & Bro.
(American)
DateFirst half 20th century
MediumMachine-stitched red flannel, with twill-woven worsted wool lining, dark blue wool flannel facing, white cotton braid, cotton ribbed tape, gilt over brass buttons, and a metal hook and eye
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (center back length x breast circumference): 42 x 40in. (106.7 x 101.6cm)
Other (sleeve length): 25in. (63.5cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineGift of John M. K. Davis
Object number1984.112.5
DescriptionColonial Revival costume uniform coat, cut in imitation of a Revolutionary War era military coat. The coat is completely machine-stitched of red wool flannel with a twilled appearance. It consists of a front, back, and side panel on each side and a front skirt. The coat is lined throughout with a thin, twill-woven worsted wool, slightly glazed. Stencilled on the inside proper left back lining is "34/ SIZE/ 40". The sleeves are lined with the same material as the body lining. The coat is faced in the collar, lapels, cuffs, pocket flaps and shoulder straps with a dark blue wool flannel of better quality than the red flannel. It is further ornamented on those same locations with 1/2-inch rib-woven white cotton braid. The braid now appears off-white, but it is very soiled, so it may have been white originally. The buttons on the coat are two-piece gilt over brass, of relatively low quality; the plating has worn off several of them. The plating was finished with a lacquer finish, which has also worn off. The buttons are back marked, "D. KLEIN & BRO. PHILADELPHIA". The pocket flaps are set just below the waist seam at the proper right and left front. The flaps are lined with off-white twill-woven cotton. They are edged on the front, rear, and lower edge of the flap with 1/2-inch, off-white cotton ribbed tape. The top fold of the flap has three pointed loops of 1/2-inch-wide, white ribbed tape extending from the fold to the bottom of the flap in a pointed loop form, ranging in length from 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 inches long.
The coat closes by means of a japanned wire hook and eye at mid breast and at the base of the standing collar. The standing collar is 1 3/4 inches high, made of blue wool flannel edged with 3/4-inch-wide white cotton ribbed tape. At the front of each side of the collar is a loop of 1/2-inch, white cotton ribbed tape formed into a three-inch-long loop with a point on the end toward the shoulder. At the pointed end is a one-inch-diameter, two-piece button like all the other buttons. The collar is lined with the same coarse, red wool flannel as the body of the coat. It is stiffened with a coarse woven canvas buckram, as are the coat fronts over the chest area.
The lapels are blue edged on the outside edge with 1/2-inch-wide, white cotton ribbed tape, from which run eight two-inch-long pointed loops, with the point of the loop toward the center front of the coat. The buttons run along the outside of the lapel along the edging tape, corresponding to each of the eight button loops. The buttons on the lapel, cuff, and collar are shanked through, pushed to the inside of the coat, and fastened between the coat body and lining with wire rings. The lapels and cuffs are false; they are sewn to the body of the coat with turned edges on the blue facing material. If this were an original eighteenth-century military coat, the cuffs and collar would have cut edges. Eight gilt-brass, shell buttons are on each lapel.
The only functional elements of the garment are the shoulder straps, which have machine-stitched buttonholes. Each shoulder strap is composed of a single thickness of blue wool sewn to the shoulder seam and terminating at the collar in a point. Each strap is edged with the same 1/2-inch-wide, white rib-woven cotton tape as on the sleeve cuffs. The collar end of the straps have a machine-worked buttonhole and a 3/4-inch, two-piece, gilt brass button. The sleeves are two-piece, cut in a style more typical of a late nineteenth-century or early twentieth-century suit coat. The sleeve cuffs are plain, round cuffs sewn to the body of the sleeves, edged along the top by a row of 1/2-inch-wide white cotton tape. On the front of each cuff Three pointed loops of 1/2-inch-wide, white rib-woven cotton, each about 2 1/4 inches long, are on the front of each cuff. Against these loops are set three one-inch-diameter, two-piece gilt buttons, set along the top edge of the cuff to correspond to the loops.
The coat closes by means of a japanned wire hook and eye at mid breast and at the base of the standing collar. The standing collar is 1 3/4 inches high, made of blue wool flannel edged with 3/4-inch-wide white cotton ribbed tape. At the front of each side of the collar is a loop of 1/2-inch, white cotton ribbed tape formed into a three-inch-long loop with a point on the end toward the shoulder. At the pointed end is a one-inch-diameter, two-piece button like all the other buttons. The collar is lined with the same coarse, red wool flannel as the body of the coat. It is stiffened with a coarse woven canvas buckram, as are the coat fronts over the chest area.
The lapels are blue edged on the outside edge with 1/2-inch-wide, white cotton ribbed tape, from which run eight two-inch-long pointed loops, with the point of the loop toward the center front of the coat. The buttons run along the outside of the lapel along the edging tape, corresponding to each of the eight button loops. The buttons on the lapel, cuff, and collar are shanked through, pushed to the inside of the coat, and fastened between the coat body and lining with wire rings. The lapels and cuffs are false; they are sewn to the body of the coat with turned edges on the blue facing material. If this were an original eighteenth-century military coat, the cuffs and collar would have cut edges. Eight gilt-brass, shell buttons are on each lapel.
The only functional elements of the garment are the shoulder straps, which have machine-stitched buttonholes. Each shoulder strap is composed of a single thickness of blue wool sewn to the shoulder seam and terminating at the collar in a point. Each strap is edged with the same 1/2-inch-wide, white rib-woven cotton tape as on the sleeve cuffs. The collar end of the straps have a machine-worked buttonhole and a 3/4-inch, two-piece, gilt brass button. The sleeves are two-piece, cut in a style more typical of a late nineteenth-century or early twentieth-century suit coat. The sleeve cuffs are plain, round cuffs sewn to the body of the sleeves, edged along the top by a row of 1/2-inch-wide white cotton tape. On the front of each cuff Three pointed loops of 1/2-inch-wide, white rib-woven cotton, each about 2 1/4 inches long, are on the front of each cuff. Against these loops are set three one-inch-diameter, two-piece gilt buttons, set along the top edge of the cuff to correspond to the loops.
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