The Basics of Victorian Men's Clothes

The Victorian era began in 1837. Men's dress had already changed considerably. Whereas all men's trousers were once knee-length, now only little boys wore knickers or breeches, although a man might still wear them for riding. However, as opposed to the days when he would show off well-toned calves in stockings, he now wore riding boots. Clothes were less colorful than they had been, with fewer patterned fabrics. Wigs were increasingly going out of fashion, as was hair powdering.

All men, except for laborers, wore three-piece suits every day. No man would consider himself dressed unless he was wearing trousers, a waistcoat over his shirt and a coat. Of course, he also required a tie and a hat. The cuts of coats changed over the decades, as did the width of trousers, but the basics were always the same. By the end of the century, cuts were such that a modern man can look at them and recognize his own suits.

A Variety of Coats
French fashion was very much in vogue in the 1830s and the Victorians were happy to copy some of the cuts of men's coats, although not the bright colors. The most common coat for men was the frock coat, which varied in length but whose style was always that of a nipped waist and skirted bottom. For more formal occasions, this coat was worn with what a modern man would recognize as cutaway tails for a tuxedo.

Coats gradually became shorter and simpler, starting as soon as the 1840s with the invention of the sewing machine. By the 1870s, coats had become sack suits. These were boxy suits with coats that hung just past the hips and had no middle seam, so that they were loose. This changed slightly in the 1880s, as coats became more like modern suit jackets in length and style, with fitted details and a middle seam above the pockets.

The Waistcoat
Although now called a "vest" in American parlance, this garment is perhaps the most important in Victorian men's clothes. Men of all ages and class wore them. Very often, it was a way to express some personality with color and fabric, even in those days of rigidity.

The average man had only one or two suits, but he would have several waistcoats to wear with it. In the 1840s, China was open to the world and so silk became comparatively inexpensive. Thus, most waistcoats were made of silk and men were loath to button their coats all the way, preferring to show off their waistcoats. It was only towards the end of the era that wool and cotton became more common for daywear and waistcoats began to match the jacket and trousers.

Trousers
Trousers were worn fairly high on the waist and flat-fronted. They were held up by suspenders and were often patterned. Stripes and checks were common. While many consider that such patterns were only worn by younger, less sophisticated men, the fact is that most men considered them very fashionable.

Hats
All men wore hats at all times, in a wide variety of styles. The top hat was the only style acceptable for parties and other formal events – this persisted well into the 20th century. It was also worn by high-ranking men during the day, to denote their place in society.

Other popular hats were pork pies, derbies and bowlers. These grew in popularity so that, by the end of the era, they were the most popular and were not supplanted until the fedora in the 1920s.

There is much more to learn about Victorian men's clothes. Search sites like Victoriana to see pictures!

From: http://mens-fashion.lovetoknow.com