Trousers

Date1810-1825

MediumSilk satin; tabby weave cotton

DimensionsTrousers inseam: 33"; Waist: 31"; OL: 49". Each strap measures: 7/8" x 11 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1999-215

Descriptiona) Man's long trousers made of grey-blue silk satin with strie effect. Waistband closed with 5 fabric-covered buttons at center front (top button missing). Narrow fall flap buttons over front opening. Watch pocket in waistband and two deep pockets at sides, buttoned closed with button near side sean. Back wiast had adjustment eyelets and vent filled with silk fabric. Long legs end in hemmed vent at ankles and strap that buttons to fit under feet. b&c) Narrow straps with buttonholes at either end for buttoning to legs.
Label TextKnee breeches had been the prevailing fashion for men in the eighteenty and early nineteenth centuries, but gradually were replaced by long trousers. The early fashionable trousers were styled much like previous knee breeches, with fall front closures and back vents. This pair of trousers is an excellent example to show the change in men's styles, a change with long- lasting consequences for men's clothing.
ProvenanceNot known.