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n a previous post, we discussed 1880s outerwear of a more practical outerwear nature and illustrated it with some examples. Today, we focus in just a bit more with this one particular 1880s coat style as illustrated in the November 7, 1886 issue of La Mode de Illustree:
Manteau et toque en peluche garnis de fourrure – Coat and hat trimmed in plush and fur.
This is a very practical style, to say the least and here’s an extant coat from circa 1885 that replicates this design to a great degree:
Coat, c. 1885; Chicago History Museum (1960.592)
This coat is made from a light brown silk velvet plush and trimmed on the opening edges and hem with an ivory lambs wool. The coat is also lined in the same ivory lambs wool and there are interior ties to help create a snug fit. The center back has an opening to accommodate the bustle/train. This example is probably a bit more on the high end. But just to show that coat styles were not limited to high-end clientele, below are some sample pages from the Strawbridge & Clothier Quarterly Catalog for Spring 18831Strawbridge & Clothier was a department store located in Philadelphia that catered to a mostly middle-class market.:
While a coat may not be necessary for a recreated wardrobe, it’s still good to know about the range of garments that were available back in the 1880s and if nothing else, it’s interesting to see how outerwear was constructed to accommodate what was worn underneath.