From the seller:
This royal purple vest or waistcoat is a superb hand made and hand embroidered silk and velvet item. I believe circa 1840 to 1890, but I am not a vintage clothing expert. It does not have any tags and I believe was a one off creation, so has never had tags.
It belonged to a wealthy family in the UK, so I assume it is English or French in origin.
It can be worn either by a lady, small to medium or a small man. The condition and detailing is exceptional. It could use a clean on the inner silk lining and collar. There are no tears or signs of wear, and as you can see from the rich coloring, it has been stored in a dark closet. The lining has some stains (see pics).
See pics for detail, buttons, pockets etcetera.
The back measures 21" from the top center of the collar to the base at the back. The waist can be adjusted with the ties from 21" to 34".
This item is truly unique for fancy dress, a wedding or any event where you would like to very stand out from the crowd. It looks great over a dark or light color top with skirt or pants.
Note: This item is accurately described, however it is vintage, not new.
From Me:
See comments below!
The glazed cotton lining, keyhole buttons, back lacing, lapel shape and size, and the fact that the lapel is embroidered most likely mean post-1850. The high cut on top of the shoulders also points towards that. Court suits continued in the late 18th and early 19th century style until the 20th century, so an older look was very popular in formal wear. Very pretty embroidery though!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I did some more research and, yeap, 1850's.
DeleteThere is a graphic about half way down that shows almost the exact same shape and embroidery design. It was at an expo (Crystal Palace) in 1851!