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This coat is held by the Met (1974.101.2; breeches, 1988.242.2). The description in The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789-1815., edited by Katell le Bourhis et al. (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989) reads: "Man's cutaway double-breasted coat, or habit dégagé, of wool broadcloth with white satin lapels and high-standing collar; cotton piqué double- breasted vest, also with lapels, and cotton corduroy knee breeches. French, c. 1795" (53). I love this costume here, particularly the simple color combination of white, red, and black and the fabric combination of the rough wool and corduroy with satin and soft cotton. Neither boringly conventional or excessively effeminate, the outfit suggests to me and man confident in his masculinity with a bold sense of style. |
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