Suit

J.B. Johnstone

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Morning suits, such as this one, were originally adopted by men in the early-19th century for wear during the morning hours when they would go riding. It gained popularity near the end of the century for morning and daytime business activities in addition to riding, supplanting the frock coat which had been relegated to that position since the teens. This style of suit consisted of either a matching ensemble composed of a single-breasted cutaway coat, vest and trousers, or a black single-breasted cutaway coat paired with striped trousers and a complementary vest. Edward VII (1842-1910) popularized the acceptability of the morning suit for daytime formal occasions, which it has maintained to the present day.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art