UNDERTAKING THE MAKING Man’s Frock Coat LACMA Costume and Textiles Pattern Project

Man’s Frock Coat NOTES: . The box-pleated vent at the center France, c.   . Fabric grain follows vertical lines back skirt is reinforced at the top Silk and wool twill of the graph paper. with stitches in the form of an Purchased with funds provided . Pattern pieces are drawn without inverted triangle. by Michael and Ellen Michelson seam allowance. . The coat is lined with black silk twill; M. .. . Eight ⅛-inch-diameter self- the back bodice lining has a ½-inch covered buttons with eight ease pleat in the lining fabric. This rare frock coat, characterized ¼-inch-long buttonholes create by a fitted torso buttoned to the waist, a double-breasted front. straight-cut front edges, and a full skirt attached by a waist seam, is . Each sleeve cu is secured with hand-constructed with silk and wool two ⅜-inch-diameter self-covered twill plaid. The long length of the skirt buttons and two ⅝-inch-long suggests that this coat is from the early buttonholes. th century and probably inspired by . One ¾-inch-long single-welt the great coats worn by soldiers during pocket is at the proper left breast the Napoleonic Wars. The silk and wool and one ¾-inch-long double-welt textile also illustrates a gradual shift in pocket is at the inside proper right menswear from the use of ornate silks breast lining. Two ¼-inch-long favored in the th century, to tailored single welt pockets are at each side wools in the th century. Wool frock of the skirt. coats continued to be fashionable in . Skirt front hems are bound with menswear through the end of the s, ¾-inch-wide bias tape of the silk albeit shorter, plainer, and more formal and wool twill plaid. in contrast to this patterned version. Man’s Frock Coat

COLLAR CB

Collar notch

Roll BACK line SIDE UPPER UNDER CF CF BACK SLEEVE SLEEVE CB

FRONT TORSO FACING FRONT

Side seam notch

PROPER RIGHT INTERIOR PROPER BREAST POCKET WELT LEFT BREAST POCKET WELT

UPPER UNDER CF SLEEVE SLEEVE SKIRT FACING FACING POCKET Pocket WELT placement

SKIRT FRONT

Attached self-facing

CB

TORSO BACK LINING

SIDE TORSO BACK POCKET LINING LINING

TORSO FRONT LINING

Ease pleat SKIRT POCKET LINING

Key:  1:1 inch CF  Center Front CB  Center Back  Pieced fabric  Fold line

Patterns re-created and drawn by Thomas John Bernard. © Museum Associates/LACMA. All rights reserved.