Two sides to a waistcoat’s life

An Two sides to a waistcoat’s life

By Natasha Williams

This mini outfit shows two ways a waistcoat on display in this exhibition has been used and altered through upcycling. The left-hand side shows how the waistcoat was worn with an 18th century men's suit, and the right-hand shows how it was worn with a Victorian women's outfit. This shows how out-of-date clothing can be reused to create a stunning much-loved garment.  

The original man’s waistcoat was adapted in the late 19th century to form the front of a bodice for a Victorian dress.  This can be seen by the alterations made to the waistcoat. The front has been detached and darts made to draw it in at the waist to fit a female profile.

The left-hand side of the mannequin shows what the original waistcoat would have looked like when dressed as part of an 18th century men’s suit and would have been worn below a tailored coat with a curved front, which would have allowed the waistcoat to be shown clearly. It was an expensive piece of clothing with a hand-embroidered design and would have been worn by a gentleman of means. 

The right-hand side of the mannequin shows the altered waistcoat and how it might have been worn with an 1880s dress. The front of the waistcoat has been altered above the pocket to shape it to a feminine outline. It compliments the silhouette of the 19th century dress, and no doubt, would have been a fun conversation starter.  

This waistcoat is an early example of how upcycling clothes can help us today by encouraging us to keep our clothes for longer. We are throwing away far too much; according to The Telegraph, in 2022, every person throws away 70 items a year on average. A survey by British Wool found that over 60% of people throw clothing into landfills rather than fix, recycle, or donate. Wrap, a sustainability charity, found that 70% of clothes are sent overseas to places like Ghana, the leading receiver from the UK. However, most of the clothing is of such shoddy quality that it cannot be used and ends up in landfills. This is creating an environmental catastrophe.