# Man's Waistcoat

- By: Possibly Lyon, France
- Date: Embroidered 1780s; altered 1795–1805
- Medium: Front: Silk, satin-weave foundation, embroidered with silk thread in satin, steam and buttonhole stitches and French knots; embroidered fabric covered buttons; silk, twill weave lining; back: linen, plain weave
- Classification: Costume and Accessories
- Dimensions: 66.3 × 66.7 cm (26 1/8 × 26 1/4 in.)
- Culture: France
- Credit line: Gift of Dr. Frank W. Gunsaulus to the Frances Kinsley Hutchinson Collection
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/72167)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/c553de14-e4e7-647d-55a7-11d40fc2defd/full/843,/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

European men wore waistcoats, or vests, with jackets and knee breeches. Fashion dictated that the design and color of the waistcoat fabric should contrast with the matching suit. Colorful floral sprigs, bouquets, and leafy vines produce a lively yet elegant pattern. The buttons on this waistcoat are covered with small circles embroidered to match the pattern of the garment’s textile. The back is a plain, inexpensive linen fabric, as it would not be seen when worn under a jacket. The waistcoat has been shortened from its original shape, an example of reuse that attests to the textile's value.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0