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Waistcoat, Europe or North America, c. 1790–1810, fine plainweave cotton with woven design, lined and backed with coarser plainweave cotton, with plainweave silk facings. Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston. Gift of Margrethe J. Crowe Birch and Ian H. Birch (Queens '37 Science), 1989 (C91-716.02)
Waistcoat

Waistcoat

Worn by Wearer Once Known

Re-Worn by Dare de LaFemme

Waistcoat, Europe or North America, c. 1790–1810, fine plainweave cotton with woven design, lined and backed with coarser plainweave cotton, with plainweave silk facings Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Gift of Margrethe J. Crowe Birch and Ian H. Birch (Queens ’37 Science), 1989 (C91-716.02), Made by Maker Once Known

Dare de LaFemme’s Waistcoat, Kingston, 2023, synthetic velvet, gold-thread embroidery and metal buttons. Made by Jessica Dykins

Dare De LaFemme wearing his magenta and gold embellished waistcoat, with white shirt and cravatte. He looks off camera with captivating expression.
Dare de LaFemme’s Waistcoat
French fashion plate, 1790. Men's Wear 1790–1829, Plate 028. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
How It Was Worn

This waistcoat, made with two types of cotton fabric and metallic thread, is an intriguing example from a transitional period in western fashion.

Over the final decades of the eighteenth century, aesthetics evolved from the frothily ornate Rococo style into comparatively pared-down Neoclassicism influenced by ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. The materials, shape and cut all point to this waistcoat being made and worn sometime between 1790, when this transformation roughly began in earnest, and 1810, the height of the Neoclassical period.

The simple colour-scheme and, particularly, the white cotton were emblematic features of the neoclassical, directly inspired by popular contemporary perceptions of Greco-Roman civilization. Ancient Greek sculpture, in particular, was originally highly coloured, but had long since lost most of its paint to reveal the white marble underneath, which became strongly associated with classical civilization.

At this time, cotton was in the process of becoming the dominant textile throughout Europe and North America, being less costly, easier to care for and more versatile than many alternatives such as linen, wool and silk, while still considered highly fashionable. The repealing of bans on cotton in France and England in the 1770s along with the beginnings of domestic production in those countries opened the floodgates of the cotton trade and consumers’ access to it.  (See History Is Rarely Black or White. The cotton boom brought dire environmental and political consequences with the expansion of cotton plantations and human enslavement).

Carolyn Dowdell, Dress Historian

Click images to see larger.
How It Was Made

The waistcoat is entirely handsewn, and the cut marks it as part of this transitional period.

Waistcoat, pocket flap

The waistcoat is nearly straight and angular, which is more typical of the early nineteenth century, rather than being shaped through the chest and with a cutaway bottom as was more typical during the Rococo period. The length is somewhere in between the two periods being shorter than the thigh-length waistcoats of much of the eighteenth century but longer than the waist-length ones of the early nineteenth century. The standing collar is also a more neoclassical feature appearing first in the 1790s and continuing into the 1820s.

The waistcoat’s decorative pattern, meant to mimic earlier hand-embroidered examples, was woven into the cotton cloth with metallic threads to the shape of the waistcoat fronts, collar, neckline and pocket flaps, a common practice for waistcoats throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The design being woven may point to a garment of lesser elite status: the metallic threads and woven pattern could be more costly than plain fabric or printed designs; however, it would be less expensive than a hand-embroidered garment.

Carolyn Dowdell, Dress Historian

Image: Waistcoat interior. The fronts and back were made up separately by sewing the outer and lining layers right sides together down the fronts and around the neckline and armhole edges. The side seams appear to have been sewn by sandwiching the side edges of the front pieces between those of the back to create a clean finish on the interior. Conversely, the shoulder seams are sewn with the back edges sandwiched between the front layers. There are two sets of nine inch long (22.5cm) linen tape ties sewn to the waistcoat back to fit the garment to the wearer.
Intimate Close-Ups and Interior Shots

Scroll through Waistcoat details, with construction notes by Carolyn Dowdell, revealing the intricacy and skill of historical dressmaking.

Click images to see larger.
Image: Waistcoat interior. The fronts and back were made up separately by sewing the outer and lining layers right sides together down the fronts and around the neckline and armhole edges. The side seams appear to have been sewn by sandwiching the side edges of the front pieces between those of the back to create a clean finish on the interior. Conversely, the shoulder seams are sewn with the back edges sandwiched between the front layers. There are two sets of nine inch long (22.5cm) linen tape ties sewn to the waistcoat back to fit the garment to the wearer.
How To Make It
Make your own version of the Waistcoat using the downloadable pattern (PDF).

How to Wear It

The Waistcoat has been re-interpreted and re-worn by Dare de LaFemme.

DARE DE LAFemme

Dare de LaFemme began doing drag in Kingston in 2019, at a time when Kingston had not seen a Drag King for several years. With his passion for glamour mixed with comedy, he quickly became a staple in the Kingston drag scene. Over the years he has also had the wonderful opportunity to perform alongside many of the stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race when they come through Kingston and the surrounding areas.

Dare has a passion for curating events that showcase a variety of performing arts disciplines. He is the producer and host of Dare’s Royal Variety Show, which has run for 2 consecutive show seasons in 2022 and 2023. The show features drag, burlesque, circus artists, and musicians, and takes place in Gananoque at the Royal Theater Thousand Islands.

Dare has also been hired to host and perform at several distinguished events such as the ReelOut Opening Gala (2023), Napanee Pride shows (2021 & 2022), the Imagination Ball Fundraiser for the Quinte West Youth Centre (2023), and the Kingston Pride Festival (2023). He also co-created a clown duet with Erin Ball of Kingston Circus arts to showcase at Electric Circuits (2022).

Dare has been hired by several small town libraries to host their very first Drag Storytime events. Despite many protesters at these events, Dare has always been committed to showing up bravely and promoting the celebration of diversity among 2SLGBTQ youths and allies.

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Dare de LaFemme answers the questions...

What were your initial thoughts about the historical Day Dress?
How did you re-imagine it?
What are your thoughts about your finished Day Dress?
How will you accessorize it?
How will you perform it?

Artist Statement: Dare de LaFemme
Dare de LaFemme speaks about his Waistcoat.
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Transcript

Artist Statement: Dare de LaFemme
Dare de LaFemme speaks about his Waistcoat.
Waistcoat, front
Dare De LaFemme’s Waistcoat, front
Dare De LaFemme’s Waistcoat, proper right side
Waistcoat, proper right side
Waistcoat, back
Dare De LaFemme’s Waistcoat, back
Footnotes
Image Credits