By the late 1790s waistcoats were short, reaching to just below the waist, and they had deep collars and large revers (lapels). The double-breasted style was popular for coats and waistcoats in the late 1790s. A grid of purple and white silk ribbons has been laid over the white silk taffeta of this waistcoat, with buttons covered in silk threads of the same colours to match.