Coats of the 1750’s were boxier in shape than the coats worn later in the 18th century.
Made up as a civilian coat, this design will be appropriate for almost any occasion, depending on your choice of fabric and trimmings. As a military coat, please consult your own documentation for suggestions on fabric weights, trims and ornamentation. As there were over 120 different military units in the 1750’s-1760’s, please make whatever changes may be necessary to conform this pattern to your own personal requirements. The pattern contains a plain cuff, a functional mariner’s cuff, and a curved cuff. All pieces are designed to fit together, so you may mix and match.
This coat is designed to fit comfortably over shirt, breeches and waistcoat. If you plan to wear your coat over a sleeved waistcoat, please fit accordingly. Depending on the weight of the fabric you have used for your waistcoat, it may be necessary to expand the sleeves of the coat.
This original coat pattern is fashioned after an extant example of an officer’s regimental worn by Capt. Thomas Plumbe, Royal Lancashire Militia, c. 1760. Certain elements have been taken from an extant 1750’s coat in the collection of The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Close attention has also been paid to the works of Swiss artist, David Morier, who painted a grenadier of each regiment according to the 1751 Warrant for the Duke of Cumberland, and to the simple drawings, later engraved, by Lt. William Baillie of the 13th Foot, 1753.
