This ensemble illustrates fashionable formal dress for men in the late 1770s or early 1780s. It was probably worn during the day, for visiting friends for tea, walking in a park or shopping. The use of poplin, a silk and woollen blend, indicates it may have been made for summer wear. By the late 1770s the waistcoat ends at the top of the thigh. The skirts are narrow and fall between the side and back seam of the coat. The cut of the sleeves is quite tight and the cuffs narrow. Silk braid and tassels adorn the coat, an influence from military uniform.