1840-1860. Man’s vest of black silk velvet woven with copper and navy-blue dots.
The vest is made with four pieces: two front panels of silk velvet, and two back panels of gray cotton twill with a center-back seam. At the hem the front is cut straight across at the waist, and in back the panels curve up toward the center to a 1.3 cm / 0.5 in. high peak at the seam. The vest is double-breasted with an 8.3 cm / 3.25 in. overlap and front openings measuring 19.1 cm / 7.5 in. high. There are three white and gold glass buttons and three buttonholes at the opening of both right and left front panels, with only one column of buttons visible when worn.
The vest has a deep V in front measuring 48.3 cm / 19 in. from the shoulder seam to the top of the front opening, finished with a shawl collar 6.4 cm / 2.5 in. at widest. There are two pockets on the left side and one on the right, and one interior pocket on the right. The vest can be adjusted with a belt sewn in at the side seams in back. The front is lined with natural polished cotton, with padding between the velvet and the lining at the chest. The back is lined with gray cotton twill of a different shade than the exterior of the panel.
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