Evening cloak

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This classic Inverness cape shows the importance placed on such garments in the 19th century. Simple elegant touches such as the velvet collar and the beautifully worked covered silk buttons bring a becoming dignity to the wearer. The Inverness was designed for travel and first appeared around the middle of the century as a combination of two major types of outerwear: the graceful cloak, which was reserved for riding and evening wear, and the comfortable overcoat which was reserved for business.

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