Man’s vest, dark brown silk velvet with a gold stripe, 1830-1839, front view

1830-1839. Man’s vest of brown silk velvet with horizontal woven stripes of gold silk.
The vest is made with three pieces: two front panels of silk velvet and one back panel of brown heavy weight cotton. The hem is cut straight across at the waist in front and in back. The vest is double-breasted with a 6.4 cm / 2.5 in. overlap and front openings measuring 27.9 cm / 11 in. high. There are five brass buttons and five buttonholes at the opening of both right and left front panels, with all ten buttons visible when worn. It has a standing collar 7.6 cm / 3 in. high with small tabs turned back at its base in front, close to the neck. There is one pocket on each side, though on the left only the opening remains. Unlined. Hand-sewn.

The Irma G. Bowen Historic Clothing Collection digital catalog was produced by the UNH Library Digital Collection Initiative, supported in part by a grant from the Mooseplate program and New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Additional funding provided by the E. Ruth Buxton Stephenson Memorial Fund.

Photography copyright, Astrida Schaeffer.