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Afrock coat is aformal men'scoat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during theVictorian andEdwardian periods (1830s–1910s). It is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at the back and some features unusual in post-Victorian dress. These include the reverse collar and lapels, where the outer edge of the lapel is often cut from a separate piece of cloth from the main body and also a high degree of waist suppression around thewaistcoat, where the coat's diameter around the waist is less than around the chest. This is achieved by a high horizontal waist seam with side bodies, which are extra panels of fabric above the waist used to pull in the naturally cylindrical drape. As was usual with all coats in the 19th century, shoulder padding was rare or minimal.
In theAge of Revolution around the end of the 18th century, men abandoned thejustaucorps withtricorne hats for thedirectoire style:dress coat withbreeches or increasinglypantaloons, andtop hats. However, by the 1820s, the frock coat was introduced along with full-length trousers (pants), perhaps inspired by the then casual country leisure wearfrock. Early frock coats inherited the higher collars and voluminouslapels of the dress coat style at the time, and were sometimes offered in different, albeit increasingly dark, colours. Within a few years, though, plain black soon became the only established practice, and with a moderate collar. The top hat followed suit.
Although black trousers did occur, especially at daytime, the black frock coat was commonly worn with charcoal grey, pin-striped or checkedformal trousers. Thesingle-breasted frock coat sporting the notched (step)lapel was more associated with day-to-day professionalinformal wear. Yet, from the end of the 19th century, with the gradual introduction of thelounge suit, the frock coat came to embody the mostformal wear for daytime. Especially so whendouble-breasted with peaked lapels, a style sometimes called aPrince Albert afterPrince Albert,consort toQueen Victoria. The formal frock coat only buttoned down to the waist seam, which was decorated at the back with a pair of buttons. Thecassock, a coat that is buttoned up to the neck, forming a high, stand-upRoman style collar forclergymen, was harmonized to the style of the contemporary frock coat.
By the late 19th century, the knee-lengthdress coat,morning coat, and shorter-cut lounge suit were all standardized. While the dress coat and the morning coat are knee-length coats like the frock coat and traditionally share the waist seam of the precursor, they are distinguished by the cutaway of the skirt which gives dress coats and morning coatstails at the back. From the 1920s, the frock coat was increasingly replaced as day formal wear by the cut-away morning coat. In 1936, it was suspended from the protocol ofaudiences at theBritish royal court. While effectively relegated to a rarity in formal wear ever since, it does occur in certain formalmarriages and traditionalprocessions.
The name frock coat appeared out from the earlierfrock.
Earlier terminology also usedredingote (or redingotte, redingot),[1] derived from a Frenchalteration of the English "riding coat", an example ofre-borrowing.
Frock coats emerged during theNapoleonic Wars, where they were worn by officers in the Austrian and various German armies during campaign. They efficiently kept the wearer warm as well as protecting his uniform. Privates and non-commissioned officers would weargreatcoats on campaign.
During the mid-17th century, the olderdoublets,ruffs,paned hose, andjerkins were replaced by the precursor to thethree-piece suit, comprisingwaistcoat, tightbreeches, and a long coat called ajustacorps, topped by apowdered wig andtricorne hat. This coat, popularized byLouis XIII of France andCharles II of England, was knee-length and looser fitting than the later frock coat, with turn-back cuffs and two rows of buttons. English and French noblemen often wore expensivebrocade coats decorated withvelvet,gold braid, embroidery, and gold buttons to demonstrate their wealth.[2]
Before the frock coat existed, there was another garment called thefrock in the 18th century, which was probably unrelated to the frockcoat, sharing only a similarity in name. The earlier frock was originally country clothing that became increasingly common from 1730. Formal dress was then so elaborate that it was impractical for everyday wear, so the frock became fashionable ashalf dress, a less formal alternative. By the 1780s, the frock was worn widely as town wear and, towards the end of the 18th century, started to be made with a single-breasted cutaway front, and tails. It was thus the precursor to the moderndress coat that is worn withwhite-tiedress code.
These relationships can be seen in similar foreign terms. The modern word for 'dress coat' in Italian, French, Romanian, and Spanish isfrac; in German and Scandinavian languages,Frack. The Portuguesefraque was used in the late 18th century to describe a garment very similar to the frock, being a single- or double-breasted garment with a diagonally cutaway front in the manner of a modernmorning coat. Even coats with horizontally cutaway skirts like adress coat were referred to as afrock in the late 18th and very early 19th centuries, before being renamed todress coat.
This suggests that the earlier frock from the 18th century is more the direct ancestor of the modern dress coat, whereas the frockcoat in the 19th century, the subject under discussion here, is a different garment altogether, with separate military origins in the 19th century. However, a remote historical connection to the frock cannot entirely be excluded, as is the case with similar looks variably referred to asredingote orriding coat.
Other meanings of the termfrock include clerical garb (acassock), and a type of women'sdress combining a skirt with a blouse.
The first military frock coats were issued late in theNapoleonic Wars to Frenchline infantry and PrussianLandwehr troops.[3] Unwilling to soil the expensivetail coats on campaign, the French adopted a loose fitting single-breasted coat with contrasting collar and cuffs. The Germans, having been devastated by years of war, were unable to afford elaborate uniforms like the British line infantry and chose apeaked cap and double-breasted blue coat,[4] again with contrasting collar and cuffs, as these were cheaper to produce for the large numbers of recruits, smart enough forfull dress and more practical for campaigns.
By the 1840s, frock coats were regulation for the American, Prussian, Russian[5] and French armies. By 1834 officers of the British Army had adopted a dark blue/black frock coat for ordinary duties, derived from an earlier greatcoat worn during the Napoleonic period.[6]US army officers were first issued navy blue frocks during theMexican War, with goldepaulettes andpeaked caps of the German pattern. EnlistedUSMC personnel received adouble breasted version with red piping worn with aleather stock andshako to reflect their status as an elite unit. Infantry soldiers continued to be issued the 1833 patternshell jacket until theM1858 uniform complete with French stylekepi entered service shortly before theUS Civil War.[7]
The men'sredingote was an eighteenth-century or early-nineteenth-century long coat orgreatcoat, derived from the country garment (i.e. derived from "riding coat") with a wide, flatcollar called afrock. In French and several other languages,redingote is the usual term for a fitted frock coat. The form a men's redingote took could be of the tightly fitting frock coat style or the more voluminous, loose "great coat" style, replete with overlapping capes or collars, such as a "garrick" redingote, depending on fashion throughout its popularity.
During the 19th century the termredingote also applied to a military riding coat worn mainly by French cavalrymen. This took the form of a greatcoat with long skirts, extending over the sides of the horse being ridden.[8]
When the frock coat was first worn, correct daytime full dress was adress coat. The frock coat began as a form of undress, the clothing worn instead of the dress coat in more informal situations. The coat itself was possibly of military origin. Towards the end of the 1820s, it started to be cut with a waist seam to make it more fitted, with an often marked waist suppression and exaggerated flair of the skirt. Thishour-glass figure persisted into the 1840s. As the frock coat became more widely established around the 1850s, it started to become accepted as formal day time full dress, thus relegating the dress coat exclusively to evening full dress, where it remains today as a component ofwhite tie. At this period, the frock coat became the most standard form of coat for formal day time dress. Through most of theVictorian era it continued to be worn in similar situations those in which thelounge suit is worn today such as in weddings, funerals and by professionals. It was the standard business attire of the Victorian era.
Prince Albert, consort toQueen Victoria, is usually credited with popularizing the frock coat and even gave a synonym for its double-breasted version, a "Prince Albert". During the Victorian era, the frock coat rapidly became worn universally in Britain, Europe and America as standard formal business dress or for formal daytime events. It was considered the most correct form ofmorning dress for the time.
Notably, however, this time was before contemporary established dress code terminology and so definitions offormal attire, as well as morning and evening attire, were not altogether according to later standards.
Around the 1880s and increasingly through into theEdwardian era, an adaptation of theriding coat called a Newmarket coat, that rapidly and ever since became known as amorning coat, began to supplant the frock coat as daytimefull dress. Once considered a casual equestrian sports coat, the morning coat slowly started to become both acceptable and increasingly popular, as a standard day-time town full dress alternative to the frock coat, a position which the morning coat enjoys to this day.
The morning coat was particularly popular among fashionable younger men and the frock coat increasingly came to be worn mostly by older conservative gentlemen. The morning coat gradually relegated the frock coat only to more formal situations, to the point that the frock coat eventually came to be worn only ascourt anddiplomatic dress.
Thelounge suit was once only worn as smart leisure wear in the country or at the seaside but in the middle of the 19th century started to rise rapidly in popularity. It took on the role of a morecasual alternative to themorning coat for town wear, moving the latter up in the scale of formality. The more the morning coat became fashionable as correct daytime full dress, the more the lounge suit became acceptable as an informal alternative. Finally the frock coat became relegated to the status of ultra-formal day wear, worn only by older men. At the most formal events during the signing of theTreaty of Versailles in 1919, heads of government wore the frock coat but at more informal meetings they wore morning coats or even a lounge suit. In 1926,George V hastened the demise of the frock coat when he shocked the public by appearing at the opening of the Chelsea Flower Show wearing a morning coat. The frock coat barely survived the 1930s only as an ultra-formal form of court dress, until being finally officially abolished in 1936 as official court dress by Edward VIII (who later abdicated to become theDuke of Windsor). It was replaced by the morning coat, thus consigning the frock coat protocol-wise to the status of historic dress at theBritish royal court.
Since that time it has been worn sparingly, albeit arguably not altogether vanished (see section on contemporary use further below).
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Frock coats worn withwaistcoat andformal striped trousers are still very occasionally worn as daytimeformal wear, especially toweddings, as an alternative tomorning coats, in order to give the wedding attire a Victorian flavour. They are today usually only worn by the wedding party, where elements of historical costume are more acceptable and even this practice is unusual, as its role as a formal ceremonial coat in daytime formal wear has been long supplanted in modern dress code by the morning coat. Like morning coats, frock coats are only worn for daytime formal events before 5pm. and no later than until around 7pm.
Prior to the establishment ofmorning dress around the turn of the century in 1900, the expression "morning dress" tended to refer to frock coat, while gradually extending to mean both the frock coat andmorning dress in the contemporary sense.[9]
The morning dress for gentlemen is a black frock coat or a black cut-away, white or black vest, according to the season, gray or colored pants, plaid or stripes according to the fashion, a high silk stove pipe hat and a black scarf or necktie. A black frock coat with black pants is not considered a good combination.. The morning dress is suitable for garden parties, Sundays, social teas, informal calls, morning calls and receptions.
— Our Deportment(1879)
At afternoon funerals, wear a frock coat and top hat. Should the funeral be your own, the hat may be dispensed with.
— The Cynic's Rules of Conduct (1905)
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Standard fibres used for the frock coat includedwool andvicuña. The most common weaves were known asbroadcloth andduffel, both so called "heavy wools" manufactured along a process originating fromFlanders in the 11th century (Flemish cloth). The standard colour of a civilian frock coat was solid black but later, in theVictorian era, charcoal grey became an acceptable but less common alternative and Midnight Blue was an even rarer alternative colour. For business and festive occasions therevers was lined with black silk facings (eithersatin orgrosgrain). For funerals black frock coats without self-faced revers were worn with a matching black waistcoat. In military uniforms a wider variety of colours was and is common, prompting such colour names as "navy blue" and "cadet grey".
On more formal outings the coat was worn with a pair of cashmere striped morning trousers (cashmere stripes refers to the muted design in black, silver and charcoal grey, not the fibres of the cloth). However, trousers of muted checks were also worn in slightly more informal situations. In keeping with the rules set formorning dress, trousers matching the coat were considered a somewhat less formal alternative.
A matching blackwaistcoat was worn for more formal business or more solemn ceremonies. During the earlier Victorian period, colourful fancy waistcoats of silk were noted as being worn by gentlemen such asCharles Dickens. In summer a white or buff coloured linen waistcoat could be worn. For festive occasions a lighter coloured waistcoat such as light grey was permissible.
The length of the skirt of the frock coat varied during theVictorian era andEdwardian era according to fashion. The most conservative length became established as being to the knees but fashion conscious men would follow the latest trends to wear them either longer or shorter. Similarly, the height of the waist – the point of maximal waist suppression – changed according to fashion. During its heyday, the frock coat was cut following the 19th century ideal of flattering the natural elegance of the naked figure, based on the ideals ofNeoclassicism that admired the depiction of the idealised nude in Classical Greco-Roman sculpture. The elegance of the form of the frock coat derived from itshourglass shape with a closely cut waist which at times around the 1830s-40's was reinforced further with padding to round out the chest. A cut with an ideal hourglass silhouette was achievable because coats during this era were all madebespoke, individually cut to the exact measurements of the customer. The 19th century aesthetics of tailoring contrasted markedly to the modern style of cutting suits which involves a greater degree of drape (fullness), as established by the great early 20th centurySavile Row tailorFrederick Scholte. Caution needs to be exercised by modern tailors trained to create the drape cut style of modernlounge suits to minimise drape – particularly around the waist – when cutting a historically accurate frock coat. Sometimes, modern lounge suit coats with an unusually long skirt are referred to byready-to-wear makers as a 'frock coat' but these lack the waist seam, resulting in the fuller drape more typical of a modernovercoat or a lounge suit jacket. The silhouette of the historically accurate frock coat has the waist seam precisely tailored to permit the classical and elongating hourglass figure with the strong waist suppression.
Another characteristic of frock coats was their lack of any outer pockets. Only late in the Victorian andEdwardian era were they ever made with a chest pocket to sport apocket square, a feature more typical of the modernlounge suit.Oscar Wilde, a famousdandy of his time, was often seen in portraits wearing just such a model but this was rather rare on frock coats; while in keeping with the flamboyant nature of Wilde's dress, it was frowned upon by traditionalists. Side pockets were always absent from frock coats but pockets were provided on the inside of the chest or inside the top part of the tail.
The buttons on a frock coat were always covered in cloth, often to match the silk on the revers, showing in the triangle of lining wrapped over the inside of the lapels. Another common feature was the use of fancy buttons with a snow-flake orcheck pattern woven over it.
Through most of the Victorian era until towards the end, the lapels were cut separately and sewn on later, apparently because it made the lapel roll more elegantly from bottom up. The lapel revers from the inside of the coat wrapped over to the front, creating a small triangle of silk, while the outer half was cut from two strips of the body fabric. This was a feature of double-breasted frock coats used on all such coats but morning and dress coats, which had previously followed this practice, began to be made with attached lapels (wholecut) around the end of the Edwardian era. Through the Victorian era, a row of decorative button holes was created down the lapel edge but by Edwardian period these were reduced down to just the one lapelboutonnière button hole.
Turn back cuffs on the sleeves, similar to the turn ups (cuffs in American English) on modern trouser hems, were standard, with two buttons on the cuff.
Another rare feature was the use of decorative braiding around the sleeve cuffs and lapel edges.
Proper accessories to wear with the frock coat included a non-collapsibletop hat and aboutonnière in the lapel. AHomburg hat was considered too informal to wear with proper formal morning dress. During the Victorian and Edwardian era,button boots with a single row of punching across the cap toe were worn along with acane. On cold days, it was common to wear afrock overcoat, a type ofovercoat cut exactly the same as the frock coat, with the waist seam construction only a little longer and fuller to permit it to be worn over the top of the frock coat. Patent leatherdress boots were worn up until the Edwardian era with morning dress. The practice of wearing patent leather shoes is today reserved strictly for eveningformalwear. Trousers are uncuffed and worn with braces to avoid the top of the trousers from showing underneath thewaistcoat. Only white shirts were worn with frock coats. The shirt was worn with a standingdetachable collar with either wingtips or "imperial" style (plain standing). The most standard neckwear was a formalcravat . The cravat was tied in the Ascot knot characterised by way the ends cross over in front or alternatively in a Ruche knot, tied like afour-in-hand knot of a modernnecktie. A decorativecravat pin often adorned with a precious stone or pearl was used to keep the cravat tidy. The cravat was usual with a frock coat when worn in more formal occasions through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, although the long necktie came to be worn increasingly after the turn of the century in the same manner as it is today withmorning dress. The practice of wearingbow ties as an acceptable alternative with formalwear fell away after the late Victorian to earlyEdwardian era and became relegated to eveningwear, as remains the case in the 21st century. As with a formal shirt for white tie,cuffs were single (rather than double) cuffed and made to close withcufflinks. Thewaistcoat was usuallydouble-breasted with peakedlapels. Formal gloves in light greysuede,chamois orkid leather were also required.
The solid black garment described above was widely used but before thelounge suit became popular, there was a need for a more informal garment for smart casual wear. A version of the frock coat was used here too, with matching trousers and a more informal cloth, featuring stripes or the check shown in the plate opposite. The waistcoat, instead of being black as usual in the formal version, was matching or odd. Until the modern cut awaymorning coat was worn, the single breasted frock coat was called amorning coat and was used in such a less formal context and double breasted coats made this way would often not fasten, being held loosely together in much the same way the modern morning coat is, with a single link.[10]
The accessories for the two styles depended on the intended use of the coat: for more formal settings, the outfit might still have striped trousers and demand a top hat and white gloves; for business, by the turn of the century, the morning coat was used (again, this referred to a single breasted frock coat then, not the modern morning coat). This last was accompanied by a business collar (such as winged collar, not a standing Imperial collar); a four in hand tie (as opposed to the formal cravat and puff) and a softDerby orHomburg.[10]
Although ceasing to be required by protocol as formal attire at theBritish royal court in 1936, at the order of the short-reigning KingEdward VIII, the frock coat has not altogether vanished as modern civilian formal wear.
Thestate funeral ofWinston Churchill in 1965 included wearers of frock coats.[11]
Savile Rowtailor and reinnovatorTommy Nutter (1943– 1992) was a frequent wearer.
Frock coats, albeit often in other colours than black, survive until this day in thelivery ofhotel staff.
KingTupou VI ofTonga (born 1959) is a frequent wearer of frock coats.
Examples of frock coats in fashion in the 21st century includeAlexander McQueen in 2012,[12]Prada's autumn edition in 2012, andPaul Smith in 2018.[13]
Frock coats still appear in certain traditional Catholicprocessions, such as theBlutritt inGermany.
Some weddinggrooms apply more or less creative civil or military variants of frock coats. In the civilian wear cases it is sometimes accompanied by the same creativity in terms ofascot ties. As a prominent example, whenPrince Harry marriedMeghan Markle in 2018, he and his brother and best manPrince William opted for militaryfull dress uniform variants of frock coats.[citation needed]
The cut of a frock coat with a waist seam flatters a man's figure, as opposed to asack coat, and such frock coats remained part of some 21st-centurymilitary uniforms. They can either besingle-breasted, as in some army uniforms, ordouble-breasted as in both army and navy uniforms. An example of the latter is seen in the modern gala dress of officers in the Spanish Navy.[14] TheBritish Army currently retains the frock coat forceremonial wear by senior officers ofLieutenant-General rank and above, by officers of theHousehold Division, by some bandmasters and by holders of certain Royal appointments.[15]
The 19th centuryPolish frock coat with hood and toggle-and-tow fastenings stood model for the overcoat used by the Royal Navy and British Army from 1890 on, known asDuffel coat or Monty coat.[16][17]
In theLithuanianyeshiva world, many prominent figures wear a black frock coat also known as a kapotteh (accompanied by either aHomburg orfedora hat) as formal wear. In recent years manySefardi rabbis also wear a similar frock coat. The frock coat amongst non-Hassidic Jews is usually reserved for arosh yeshiva, (maybe also themashgiach and other senior rabbis of the yeshiva) and other rabbis such as important communal rabbis and some chief rabbis.
Most married maleLubavitcher Hasidim also don frock coats onShabbat. All Hasidim also wear agartel (belt) over their outer coats during prayer services.
MostHasidim wear long coats calledrekelekh during the week, which are often mistaken for frock coats but are really very longsuit jackets. On Shabbat, Hasidim wearbekishes, which are usually silk or polyester as opposed to the woollen frock coat. Thebekishe and therekel both lack the waist seam construction of the frock coat. Additionally, bekishes can be distinguished from frock coats by the additional two buttons on front and a lack of a slit in the back.
Part of the slit hem in the back of the frock coat is rounded so as to not requiretzitzit. The buttons are usually made to go right over left on most Jewish frock coats, particularly those worn by Hasidic Jews.
In Yiddish, a frock coat is known as afrak, asirtuk or akapotteh.
TheTeddy Boys, a 1950s UK youth movement, named for their use of Edwardian-inspired clothing, briefly revived the frock coat, which they often referred to as a "drape".
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