Frock coat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A frock coat is a man's coat characterised by knee-length skirts all around the base, unlike the dress coat and the morning coat. It is also known as the Prince Albert after Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who helped popularise the style in the nineteenth century. The frock coat is fitted, long-sleeved, of knee-length, with a collar and lapels (revers), a centre vent, plus a waist seam and side bodies for optimal waist suppression. As formalwear the frock coat always is double-breasted with peaked lapels. As informal wear, the single-breasted frock coat often sported the notched lapel (hence its informality), and was more common in the early nineteenth century than the formal model.
The difference in construction between frock coats, dress coats, and morning coats, all of which share the waist seam is in the cut of the skirt. This type of construction makes all three coats a type of body coat. However, unlike dress coats and morning coats, the frock coat has no cut away front creating the appearance of tails at the back. As was usual with all coats in the nineteenth century, shoulder padding (called 'American shoulders') was rare or minimal. The formal frock coat only buttons to the waist, and its back waist is decorated with a pair of buttons. The frock coat that buttoned to the neck, forming a high, stand-up collar, was worn only by clergymen.
Linguistically, frock coat derives from the Middle English froke, from the Old French froc, from the Old High German hroc. Moreover, frock denotes both clerical garb, and a type of woman's dress combining a skirt with a shirt-blouse top. The French and Italian word for a frock coat is redingote; the German is Gehrock (or a Bratenrock).
Contents |
[edit] History
Frock coats emerged around as early as 1816 and were probably originally of military origin worn buttoned to the neck with a standing 'Prussian' military collar. It was worn as informal wear during the early decades of the nineteenth century. It became increasingly popular from the 1830s onwards.
The "frock coat" is probably unrelated to an older garment called the "frock" in the eighteenth century to which it shares only the name in similarity. The frock was originally country clothing that became increasingly fashionable as half dress from around 1730, when the formal dress coat became so elaborate as to make it impractical for everyday wear, and by the 1780s was worn widely as town wear. Towards the end of the eighteenth century the frock started to be made with a single breasted cut away front and tails which became the precursor to the modern dress coat worn with white tie. In fact the modern word for a dress coat in Italian, French and Spanish is 'frac', in German it is 'Frack' and in Portuguese the spelling of the word for a tail coat is "fraque", the same as it was spelt in French in the late eighteenth century to describe a single or double breasted garment with a diagonally cutaway front in the manner of a modern morning coat. Even coats with horizontally cut away skirts like a dress coat were referred to as a frock in the late eighteenth and very early nineteenth century before being renamed the dress coat. This suggest that "the frock" form the 18th century is more the direct ancestor of the modern dress coat, whereas the "frock coat" in the 19th century under discussion here is a different garment altogether with separate military origins in the nineteenth century, although a remote historical connection to the frock cannot entirely be excluded.
The frock coat was at first worn informally as a less fitted form of undress of possibly military origin. Towards the end of the 1820s it started to be cut with a waist seam to make it more fitted with an often marked waist suppression and exaggerated flair of the skirt. A marked degree of waist suppression with an marked hour glass figure persisted into the 1840s. As the frock coat became better widely established around the 1850s it started to become accepted as formal day time 'full dress', thus relegating the dress coat to exclusively to evening formal full dress, where it remains today with white tie. At this period the frock coat became the most standard form of coat for formal day time dress - morning dress. Through most of the Victorian era it was worn in similar situations that the lounge suit is worn today.
Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria is usually credited with popularising the frock coat. During the Victorian era, the frock coat was universally worn in Britain, Europe and America as standard formal business dress, or for formal daytime events. It came to be considered the most correct form of morning dress at the time.
Around the 1880s and increasingly through into the Edwardian era, an adaptation of the riding coat called a Newmarket coat - now renamed the morning coat - began to supplant the frock coat as daytime full dress. Once considered a casual equestrian sports coat, the morning coat started to slowly become both acceptable and increasingly popular as an alternative to the frock coat for morning dress and as standard day time full dress - a position which the morning coat enjoys to this day. The morning coat was particularly popular amongst fashionable younger men, and the frock coat increasingly came to be worn mostly by older conservative gentlemen. The morning coat gradually relegated the frock coat to only more formal situations to the point that the frock coat eventually came to be worn only as court and diplomatic dress.
In the middle of the nineteenth century the lounge suit, once only worn as smart leisure wear in the country or at the seaside, also started to rapidly rise in popularity and took over in the role as a more casual alternative to the morning coat for town wear, bumping the latter up in the scale of formality. The more the morning coat became fashionable as correct daytime full dress, the more the lounge suit became acceptable as an informal alternative, and the more the frock coat became relegated to the status of ultra-formal day wear worn only by older men. At the most formal events during the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, heads of government wore the frock coat, but at more informal meetings they wore morning coats or even a lounge suit. In 1926, George V hastened the demise of the frock coat by shocking the public appearing at the opening of the Chelsea flower show wearing a morning coat. The frock coat barely survived the 1930s only as an ultra-formal form of court dress until being finally officially abolished as official court dress by Edward VIII (later abdicated to become the Duke of Windsor) who replaced it with the morning coat in 1936, thus consigning the frock coat to the status of historic dress.
[edit] Use
[edit] Formal wear
Frock coats worn with waistcoat and striped trousers are still very occasionally worn as daytime formal wear, especially for weddings as an alternative to morning coats to give the wedding attire a Victorian flavour. Like morning coats, frock coats are only worn for daytime formal events before 5 PM (17:00) and no later than until around 7 PM (19:00). Frock coats are today usually only worn at weddings by the wedding party, where elements of historical costume are more acceptable, and even this practice is unusual as its role as a formal ceremonial coat in daytime formal wear has been long supplanted in modern dress code by the morning coat.
[edit] Cloth
Standard fibres used for the frock coat included wool and vicuña. The most common weave was known as broadcloth. The standard colour of a frock coat was solid black, but later, in the Victorian era, charcoal grey became an acceptable but less common alternative. Navy was an even rarer alternative colour. On more formal outings the coat was worn with a pair of Cashmere striped morning trousers (Cashmere stripes refer to the muted design in black, silver and charcoal grey, not the fibres of the cloth). However, trousers of muted checks were also worn in slightly more informal situations. For business and festive occasions the revers was lined with black silk facings (either satin or grosgrain). A matching coloured waistcoat was worn for more formal business or more solemn ceremonies. For funerals black frock coats without self faced revers were worn with a matching black waistcoat. During the earlier Victorian period, colourful fancy waistcoats of silk were noted as being worn by gentlemen such as Charles Dickens. In keeping with the rules set for modern morning dress having trousers matching the coat was considered a somewhat less formal alternative. In summer a white or buff coloured linen waistcoat could be worn. For festive occasions a lighter coloured waistcoat such as light grey was permissible.
[edit] Cut
The length of the skirt of the frock coat varied during the Victorian era and Edwardian era according to fashion. The most conservative length became established as being to the knees but fashion conscious men would follow the latest trends to wear them either longer or shorter. Similarly, the height of the waist - the point of maximal waist suppression - changed according to fashion. During its heyday, the frock coat was cut following the nineteenth century ideal of flattering the natural elegance of the naked figure, based on the ideals of Neoclassicism that admired the depiction of the idealised nude in Classical Greco-Roman sculpture. The elegance of the form of the frock coat derived from its hourglass shape with a closely cut waist which at times around the 1830s-40's was reinforced further with padding to round out the chest. A cut with an ideal hourglass silhouette was achievable because coats during this era were all made bespoke, individually cut to the exact measurements of the customer. The nineteenth century aesthetics of tailoring contrasted markedly to the modern style of cutting suits which involves a greater degree of drape (fullness), as established by the great early twentieth century Savile Row tailor Frederick Scholte. Caution needs to be exercised by modern tailors trained to create the drape cut style of modern lounge suits to minimise drape - particularly around the waist - when cutting an historically accurate frock coat. Occasionally modern lounge suit coats with an unusually long skirt are referred to by ready-to-wear makers as a 'frock coat' but these lack the waist seam, resulting in the fuller drape more typical of a modern overcoat or a lounge suit coat. The silhouette of the historically accurate frock coat has the waist seam precisely to permit the classical and elongating hourglass figure with the strong waist suppression.
[edit] Details
Another characteristic of frock coats was their lack of any outer pockets. Only late in the Victorian and Edwardian era were they ever made with a chest pocket to sport a pocket square. Oscar Wilde, a famous dandy of his time, was often seen in portraits wearing just such a model, but while this feature is typical of the modern lounge suit, it was rather rare on frock coats but was in keeping with the flamboyant nature of Wilde's dress - though it was frowned upon by traditionalists. Side pockets were always absent from frock coats. Pockets were provided on the inside of the chest.
The buttons on a frock coat were always cover in cloth, often to match the silk on the revers. Another common feature was the use of fancy buttons with a snow-flake or check pattern woven over it.
Through most of the Victorian era until towards the end, the lapels were cut separately and sewn on later. This was apparently because it made the lapel roll more elegantly. This detail began to be left off frock coats (and dress coats) from the after the Edwardian era. Through the Victorian era, a row of decorative button holes were created down the lapel edge. By the Edwardian era these were reduced down to just the one lapel boutonnière button hole.
Turn back cuffs similar to the turn ups (cuffs in American English) on modern trouser hems were standard with two buttons on the cuff.
Another rare feature was the use of decorative braiding around the sleeve cuffs and lapel edges.
[edit] Accessories
Correct accessories to wear with the frock coat included a non-collapsible top hat and a boutonnière in the lapel. A Homburg hat was considered too informal to wear with proper formal morning dress. During the Victorian and Edwardian era button boots with a single row of punching across the cap toe were worn along with a cane and on cold days a frock overcoat - a type of overcoat cut exactly the same as the frock coat with the waist seam construction, only a little longer and fuller to permit it to be worn over the top of the frock coat. Patent leather pump shoes were worn up until the Edwardian era with morning dress, a practice today reserved strictly for evening formalwear. Trousers are uncuffed and worn with braces (American English, suspenders) to avoid the top of the trousers from showing underneath the waistcoat Only white shirts were worn with frock coats. The shirt was worn with a standing detachable collar. The most standard neckwear was a cravat (or Ascot in American English). The cravat was tied in the Ascot knot (the entire cravat is called an ascot in American English) characterised by way the ends cross over in front, or alternatively in a Ruche knot, tied like a four-in-hand knot of a modern necktie. A decorative cravat pin often adorned with a precious stone or pearl was used to keep the cravat tidy. The cravat was usual with a frock coat when worn in more formal occasions through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, although the long necktie came to be worn increasingly after the turn of the century in the same manner as it is today with morning dress. The practice of wearing bow ties as an acceptable alternative fell away after the late Victorian to early Edwardian era and as remains the case with formalwear today, became relegated to evening formalwear. As with a formal shirt for white tie, cuffs were single (rather than double) cuffed and made to close with cufflinks. The waistcoat was usually double-breasted with peaked lapels. Formal gloves in light grey suede, chamois, or kid leather were also required.
[edit] Military wear
 |
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
The cut of a frock coat with a waist seam flatters a man's figure, as opposed to a sack coat, and such frock coats remain part of some twentieth century military uniforms. They can either be single-breasted as in army uniforms, or double-breasted as in navy uniforms.
[edit] Western wear
|
|
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
Frock coats are also worn as a formal coat with western wear.
[edit] Orthodox Jewish wear
In the Lithuanian yeshiva world, many prominent figures wear a black frock coat also known as a kapotteh (accompanied by either a Homburg or Fedora hat) as formal wear. Such garb is usually reserved for a rosh yeshiva, mashgiach, or prominent lecturer.
Most married male Lubavitcher Hasidim also don frock coats on Shabbat. All Hasidim also wear a gartel ("belt") over their outer coats during prayer services.
Most Hasidim wear long coats called rekelekh during the week, which are often mistaken for frock coats but are really very long suit jackets. On Shabbat, Hasidim wear bekishes, which are usually silk or polyester as opposed to the woolen frock coat. The bekishe and the rekel both lack the waist seam construction of the frock coat. Additionally, bekishes can be distinguished from frock coats by the additional two buttons on front and a lack of a slit in the back.
Part of the slit hem in the back of the frock coat is rounded so as to not require tzitzit.
In Yiddish, a frock is known as a frak, a sirtuk, or a kapotteh.
[edit] References
- Antongiovanni, Nicholas: The Suit, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2006. ISBN 0-06-089186-6
- Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500-1914, Abrams, 1996. ISBN 0-8109-6317-5
- Baumgarten, Linda: What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America, Yale University Press,2002. ISBN 0-300-09580-5
- Black, J. Anderson and Madge Garland: A History of Fashion, Morrow, 1975. ISBN 0-688-02893-4
- Cunnington, C Willet and Cunnington, Phyllis: Handbook of English Costume, 3rd Ed. Plays Inc. Boston, 1970.ISBN 0-8238-0080-6
- Druessedow, Jean L. (editor): Men's Fashion Illustration from the Turn of the CenturyReprint. Originally Published: New York: Jno J Mitchell Co. 1910. Dover Publications, 1990 ISBN 0-486-26353-3
- Ettinger, Roseann: Men's Clothes and Fabrics. Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1998. ISBN 0-7643-0616-2
- de Marly, Diana: Working Dress: A History of Occupational Clothing, Batsford (UK), 1986; Holmes & Meier (US), 1987. ISBN 0-8419-1111-8
- Laver, James: Costume and Fashion - A Concise History, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1969. ISBN 0500202664
- Minister, Edward: The Complete Guide to Practical Cutting (1853) - Second Edition Vol 1 and 2 Edited R.L. Shep. R.L. Shep, 1993. ISBN 0-914046-17-9
- Peacock, John: Men's Fashion - the Complete Sourcebook, Thames and Hudson Ltd, London, 1996. ISBN 0500017255
- Tozer, Jane and Sarah Levitt, Fabric of Society: A Century of People and their Clothes 1770-1870, Laura Ashley Press, ISBN 0-9508913-0-4
- Waugh, Norah: The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600-1900, Routledge, 1964. ISBN 0-87830-025-2
