Fitted black wool tailcoat with linked button front (part of a three piece morning suit or formal wear). Peak lapel front and a single lapel buttonhole on the left lapel. There is a breast pocket with welt on the left hand side of the chest. Two part sleeve construction and the cuff finished with four buttons. The coat is fully lined in black twill rayon with contrasting sleeve lining.
There is a hanging loop stitched into the centre back underneath the collar. Two buttons are positioned at the waist of the centre back on either side of the centre vent, a folded pleat follows from each centre back button to the tail hem. The tails have two pockets stitched into the centre back on each side of the single vent. Black and white Austin Reed woven brand label with customers name in the inside pocket in the chest lining .
Austin ReedBlue silk cutaway coat worn for formal or court dress. It is heavily hand embroidered and has been extensively altered. The silk is satin with stripe created by raised weft threads which has worn away extensively in places. The coat has a high stand collar which has been altered, curved cutaway fronts, narrow slanted shoulders and tight curved sleeves.
The front right panel has eight large flat buttons - there are no buttonholes on the left side. There are two pockets, below the hips, with scalloped flaps and three buttons below. The sleeves have been altered or remade with panels created from patches of silk. The sleeves have turn back cuffs decorated with three large flat buttons and embroidery, the cuffs have been altered by being narrowed and the embroidery motifs have been cut out and appliqued on.
The back of the coat has narrow skirts with two vertical pleats on each side of the two tails (possibly unpicked) and a long centre back vent. The embroidery is of a design of summer grasses and flower heads in green, cream, pale pink and yellow silk threads worked in satin stitch. Bordering the main design is an embroidered lace net pattern in white silk threads. The flat buttons probably have a wooden core and have been covered in the main blue silk and embroidered with a small floral motif. A linen underlayer can be seen where the blue silk has worn through and there are linen pocket bags. Hand-sewn and hand-woven. It has been completely re-lined in a modern white cotton or polycotton fabric.
Designer unknownDark blue fine wool facecloth (woven cloth with felted nap) tailcoat. It is double-breasted and fastens with four pairs of triple-gilt gold coloured metal buttons, engraved with a design of flowers and leaves. The coat has wide lapels with narrow V-notches edged in black cord and two extra decorative buttonholes on each lapel. The collar is very high at the back and is reinforced with rows of stab stitches to the underside.
The tails at the rear have two inverted pleats from the centre waistband with two of the same gilt buttons sewn to the top of the pleats and two at the bottom hem. There is a pocket concealed within the rear left tail. The cuffs are curved, trimmed with black cord and three smaller gilt buttons.
The main body of the coat is unlined except for the underarms which are padded and quilted with black cotton. The sleeves are lined in tan linen or cotton. It is entirely hand stitched.
Designer unknown