10 things about menswear in the 18th and 19th century

Wealthy men in the Netherlands did not dress as flamboyantly as their counterparts in France and Italy. Yet the Dutch did show their identity through the clothing they wore.

In this period, the Dutch developed a growing fascination with the body and ideals of physical appearance. For example, this blue waistcoat is beautifully embroidered and contains stiff card to create the impression of an elongated torso.

Dutch tailors sought inspiration both at home and further afield. Heavy silk damasks were woven and worn in the Dutch regions from the early 18th century. One example is the red jacket, the motifs of which were inspired by contemporary Türkiye.

Dutch fashion was also influenced by China, Japan, and particularly India, as seen in the long housecoats made of cotton chintz. Merchants sought riches from across the globe, often through coercion and exploitation. Silks, cottons, and linens were among the many goods traded by the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

The French Revolution (1789-1799) made short work of the nobility and also made an impact on fashion. Clothes became significantly less flamboyant and soldiers in simple uniform came to be the embodiment of masculinity.

Men continued to display their wealth through clothing, though in a more subdued way, as illustrated by the two double breasted waistcoats. The Dutch were actually ahead of this trend from France, as fashion in the Netherlands had long been more modest.

Owing to industrialization, textile manufacturers and clothing factories sprang up in cities. By the middle of the 19th century, department stores offered consumers a larger variety of ready-made clothing displayed in shop windows.

At the same time, there was already a market for second-hand clothes in the 19th century. For instance, the hand-painted fabric of the waistcoat is 18th-century Chinese silk repurposed from a dress for a woman. Meanwhile, black clothing became ever more popular from around the 1830s – a trend that continues to define men’s fashion to this day.

The small circles on either side of the jacket are to be stitched to create a matching set of buttons. Each button and pocket have been carefully embroidered to give this jacket the perfect and most fashionable look. Although preparation was underway to turn these two panels into a jacket something stopped the tailor in his tracks.

This black waistcoat from around 1840 highlights the move towards the modern 3 piece suit, reflecting men’s wardrobes today, and constracting the earlier more colourful styles.