This double-breasted coat demonstrates the exaggerated style of the late 1790s. It has a very high turned-down collar and large revers (lapels). The coat is now cut straight across in front and, following the example of women’s dress, the waistline is several inches above the natural level. The double-breasted style in both coats and waistcoats was a fashion that began in the 1780s. Once a beautiful shot purple and blue, the dye colouring the silk of this coat has proved fugitive, and over time it has changed to a drab beige.