Tailcoat Unpicked

The origins of the tailcoat lie in the 18th century when the British Aristocracy made the more practical garments of the working man, more fashionable than the frock coat. This was brought about by the Englishman's love of country pursuit so they required a looser fitting, less extravagant coat. King George III was a fan of the country gentleman style and when he assented to the throne this style became conventionally accepted.

What is the difference between a Dress Coat and a Morning Coat?
The name morning coat comes from the riding coat as it when worn when gentry on their morning ride. The skirt is not a separate piece. It simply curves from the waistline at center front to the knees at side seam. This coat gain in popularity as day wear in 1850 but by the end of the century it was merely for evening wear. Then morning coat is also known as the morning walking coat, the cutaway and the Newmarket.

The dress coat differs from the morning coat because the skirt became a separate piece in the 1820's. Another development was a side body panel which was developed during the 1830's. This makes the dress coat more fitted than the morning coat. The front is completely cut away and the curve down to the tails, begins at the side seam. In the early nineteenth century, dress coat were very fashionable for both day and evening wear. A dress coat could be both single and double breasted. There are usually worn open to show the waistcoat.