Wedding suit
1871–73
Medium
(a, c) wool (b) silk, cotton
Classification
Wedding Suit
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. William M. McClarty, 1945
Accession Number
C.I.45.121a–c
Art Historical Context
This elegant wedding suit, created by the American firm Byram & Son between 1871 and 1873, captures the refined formality of Victorian-era menswear. Crafted from wool for the jacket and trousers, with silk and cotton elements likely forming the waistcoat or linings, the ensemble reflects the meticulous tailoring traditions of the period. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, it was generously donated in 1945 by Mrs. William M. McClarty. During the early 1870s, American grooms favored dark, understated suits that conveyed dignity and respectability in the years followin...