The Frock Coat and the Morning Coat: A History of Day Formal Wear

A frock coat is a fitted coat that reaches to about the knee, with a skirt that goes all the way around the body. Unlike the tailcoat, its front does not stop at the waist or curve away; the front edges continue vertically down to the hem, so when the coat is buttoned it looks like a closed, knee-length garment.

The construction centres on a waist seam. The body is cut close to the torso and joined at the waist to a separately cut skirt, which allows the coat to be fitted tightly above and to flare gently over the hips below. At the back there is usually a vent in the skirt, often with pleats and buttons at the waist. Frock coats were made both single-breasted and double-breasted; the double-breasted form is often called a Prince Albert coat, after Queen Victoria's consort, although the link to him is a matter of naming convention rather than a documented design.

• Length: to around the knee.
• Front: straight front edges running to the hem, no cutaway.
• Skirt: cut separately and joined at a waist seam, full all around.
• Fastening: single or double-breasted, usually worn buttoned.

The frock coat rose to prominence in the first decades of the nineteenth century, as the dress coat with tails moved toward the evening. By the Victorian era it had become the formal day coat for business, for social calls and for official life. A black frock coat with grey or striped trousers and a top hat was the uniform of the City of London, of parliament and of professional men across Europe and North America.

Its appeal was its seriousness. The long, closed silhouette suggested sobriety and position, and its close fit at the waist demanded good tailoring. It was also a practical outer layer in an age before the lounge suit, covering the body from shoulder to knee.

The morning coat developed alongside the frock coat as a less formal day garment. Instead of running straight to the hem, its front fastens at the waist with a single button and then curves away toward the back, leaving tails behind. The name is usually explained by the habit of gentlemen wearing it for morning riding, a commonly given explanation that fits the coat's cutaway origins in riding dress.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, the morning coat steadily gained ground. It was lighter, less enveloping and easier to move in, and by the end of the century it was accepted as formal day wear in its own right. The frock coat became the more formal and more old-fashioned of the two. After the First World War it largely disappeared from everyday use, surviving for some years in court, diplomatic and ceremonial settings, while the morning coat became the formal day coat.

Morning dress is the daytime counterpart of white tie and black tie, and it is still worn for a small but important set of occasions: formal weddings, especially in Britain, some state and diplomatic ceremonies, memorial services and certain race meetings. The best-known of these is Royal Ascot, where the Royal Enclosure dress code requires men to wear morning dress with a top hat.

The classic outfit is consistent, with room for personal choice in the waistcoat and tie.

• Morning coat in black or grey, with peak lapels and a single button at the waist.
• Trousers in grey with a black stripe or a fine check, worn with braces.
• A waistcoat in buff, grey, pale blue or another light colour, single or double-breasted.
• A white or pale shirt with a turn-down collar, and a tie or cravat.
• Black oxford shoes, and a top hat where the occasion calls for one.

The nineteenth century also fixed the shape of several overcoats still made today. The most important is the Chesterfield, a knee-length overcoat without a waist seam, usually single-breasted with a concealed fly front and often with a black velvet collar. It is commonly said to be named after one of the Earls of Chesterfield, though which earl and how the name arose are not firmly established.

The Chesterfield took the long, clean line of the frock coat and simplified it for outdoor wear: no waist seam, a straighter body and room to wear over a jacket. Double-breasted versions and other long town coats followed the same principle, and the general family of knee-length tailored overcoats with plain fronts and modest suppression at the waist descends from this period.

The frock coat is rarely worn in its original form, but its influence is everywhere in tailored outerwear. The idea of a long coat fitted close at the waist and flaring slightly below, the importance of balance between front and back length, and the separate shaping of body and skirt all survive in modern long jackets and overcoats. Costume makers, historical reenactors and theatre wardrobes keep the original garment alive, and fashion designers return to it regularly for long, slim, buttoned-up silhouettes.

The morning coat, meanwhile, remains a living garment, worn by thousands of people each year at weddings and formal events.

Long coats amplify fitting errors. A small imbalance at the shoulder becomes a skirt that swings forward or backward at the knee; a waist placed a little too high or low is obvious when the coat is buttoned. A pattern drafted to your measurements places the waist, the hip and the length where your body needs them before any fabric is cut.

For a long, coat-like silhouette, the Minerva Patterns catalog includes the 6067 Men's Tailored Long Jacket. For outerwear in the spirit of the Chesterfield there is the 6010 Classic Knee Length Coat with Velvet Collar, and the 6015 Men's Double Breasted Coat for a double-breasted line. Each is drafted from your measurements and supplied as PDF, projector file, PLT or DXF AAMA.

As with any long coat, a toile pays for itself: check the hang of the front edges, the level of the hem and the position of the buttons before cutting the final cloth.