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An over-frock coat is a
formal
Formal, formality, informal or informality imply the complying with, or not complying with, some set of requirements (forms, in Ancient Greek). They may refer to:
Dress code and events
* Formal wear, attire for formal events
* Semi-formal attire ...
overcoat
An overcoat is a type of long coat (clothing), coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment, which usually extends below the knee. Overcoats are most commonly used in winter when warmth is more important.
They are sometimes confused with ...
designed to be worn over a
frock coat if needed in cold weather. A top-frock coat may also be worn over a frock coat in milder weather. Shaped like the body coats popular in the
Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
and
Edwardian periods, the over-frock coat was cut in essentially the same way as the frock coat that was worn under it, although it would be larger overall to accommodate the frock-coat worn underneath. Like the frock coat, the over-frock would typically be single-breasted, with
step lapels for
informal occasions like business, and double-breasted with pointed lapels for formal occasions – weddings, funerals, balls, etc. The top-frock was usually double breasted. The formal variety was sometimes called a ''Prince Albert overcoat''. The Prince Albert top frock, from the later half of the 19th century, originally had a three-inch-wide velvet collar, and flap pockets at the hip, until 1893, when it became even more fitted, longer, and double-breasted.
Description
Both the top-frock and over-frock coats were
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
As ...
len, like most male garments of the time, and were made in varying weights, ranging from just 14oz for mild-weather topcoats, to 20 or 30oz for really cold weather. Wool was not a prerequisite, but was the most common material, and came in a range of qualities, the finest being that of a
Merino sheep. Any material might be used, at a greater cost, including
cashmere (from the
Kashmir goat),
angora (from the
Angora rabbit
The Angora rabbit ( tr, Ankara tavşanı), which is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, is bred for the long fibers of its coat, known as ''Angora wool'', which are gathered by shearing, combing or plucking. Because rabbits do not possess ...
),
alpaca, or
huarizo
A huarizo is a cross between a male llama and a female alpaca. The most common hybrid between South American camelids, huarizo tend to be much smaller than llamas, with their fibre being longer. Huarizo are sterile in the wild, but recent genetic ...
(from a hybrid of alpaca and llama). Evening over-frock coats, worn over
Evening dress
Evening dress, evening attire, or evening wear may refer to:
* Evening gown or evening dress
* Full evening dress or white tie, a formal Western dress code
* Black tie, a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events
* Evening Attire (horse), a ...
could be made from
Mohair
Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...
(from the
Angora goat
Angora may refer to:
Places
*Angora, the historic name of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey
*Angora, Philadelphia
**Angora (SEPTA station), a commuter rail station
*Angora, Minnesota
* Angora Township, Minnesota
*Angora, Nebraska
*Angora Lakes ...
), which produced an additional sheen. Evening over-frocks often have silk
revers
A revers or rever is a part of a garment that is reversed to display the lining or facing outside. The word is borrowed from French ''revers'', which is reflected in the final ''s'' being silent.
The most common form of revers is the lapel. The ...
, like the dress coat worn underneath. Both could be lined on the inside with
fur
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...
of animals ranging from
nutria or
rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
to
silver fox or
Imperial sable, depending on the owner's means and preferences. To order coat lined in
sable
The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...
,
beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
,
seal, or
mink
Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...
from one's tailor would be prohibitively expensive for most, and to own one would mark one as a person of immense wealth and status. The collars were very often
velvet
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
for warmth.
Silk velvet
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
was most expensive, while velvets made from cotton or other materials were more affordable.
History
The over-frock was the standard overcoat for much of the Victorian era and until after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Its popularity mirrored the
frock coat, which replaced the
tailcoat
A tailcoat is a knee-length coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt, known as the ''tails'', with the front of the skirt cut away.
The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse riding in the Early Mode ...
(
justacorps
A justacorps or justaucorps () is a knee-length coat worn by men in the latter half of the 17th century and throughout the 18th century. The garment is of French origin, and was introduced in England as a component of a three-piece ensemble, which ...
) as day wear in the 1850s. The frock coat, often attributed to the result of the fashion influence of the
Regency dandy
George Bryan 'Beau' Brummell, was almost universally black, and was worn with
waistcoat and trousers, which could be of any colour. Black coat, waistcoat, and trousers - "frock suits" - were worn only for funerals (as a '
mourning suit') and the most
formal
Formal, formality, informal or informality imply the complying with, or not complying with, some set of requirements (forms, in Ancient Greek). They may refer to:
Dress code and events
* Formal wear, attire for formal events
* Semi-formal attire ...
of occasions. The trousers that went with it - what would be known as
formal trousers - could either be checked or striped, or have no pattern at all. The frock coat, and with it the over-frock, was increasingly rarely worn as
casual wear
Casual wear (or casual attire or clothing) is a Western dress code that is relaxed, occasional, spontaneous and suited for everyday use. Casual wear became popular in the Western world following the counterculture of the 1960s. When emphasisi ...
towards the end of the 19th century, as the "
sack suit
Ivy League is a style of men's dress, popular during the late 1950s in the Northeastern United States, and said to have originated on college campuses, particularly those of the Ivy League. It was the predecessor to the preppy style of dress.
...
", the comparatively loose modern suit was adopted for
leisure wear, and the
morning coat
A tailcoat is a knee-length coat (clothing), coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt, known as the ''tails'', with the front of the skirt cut away.
The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse riding i ...
, originally for
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
*Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
use, replaced it for some formal events. By 1926, when King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
wore a morning coat to the opening of the
Chelsea flower show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the ''Great Spring Show'',Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural ...
, the frock coat was barely ever worn, and with it the over-frock. In 1936 King
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
removed it from official
British royal court
The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – &n ...
dress code
A dress code is a set of rules, often written, with regard to what clothing groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies an ...
s.
The over-frock, like other body coats, could not survive the increasing cost of the
bespoke tailoring
Bespoke tailoring or custom tailoring is clothing made to an individual buyer's specifications by a tailor.
Clothing
Meaning of the term
The word ''bespoke'' derives from the verb ''bespeak'', to speak for something, in the specialised meanin ...
required to make them fit properly around the waist to create the classical "hour-glass" silhouette. In the first decades of the 20th century, it was replaced by sack overcoats like the
Chesterfield coat
The Chesterfield is a formal, dark, knee-length overcoat with a velvet collar introduced around the 1840s in the United Kingdom, with prominence attributed to its namesake George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield, then a leader of British fash ...
, the
guard's coat A Guards Coat or Guard's Coat (sometimes Guardsman's coat) is a men's Overcoat which has a half belt in the back, and is based on the coat that used to be worn by English Officers of the Guard. It is a double-breasted garment in either a 6x3 (more ...
, and the
Ulster coat
The Ulster is a Victorian working daytime overcoat, with a cape and sleeves.
The Ulster is distinguished from the Inverness by the length of the cape; in the Ulster, this cape only reaches the elbows, allowing free movement of the forearms. It ...
and the
Inverness coat
The Inverness cape is a form of weatherproof outer-coat. It is notable for being sleeveless, the arms emerging from armholes beneath a cape. It has become associated with the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.
History
The garment began in t ...
s and such, mirroring the change from frock coats to modern suit jackets. The expensive over-frock became impractical in comparison.
References
External links
{{Clothing
1850s fashion
19th-century fashion
20th-century fashion
Coats (clothing)
Frock coats
Formal wear