Wedding vest
Unknown Artist
1850
Medium
silk, cotton
Classification
Wedding Vest
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. John W. Grout, 19565
Accession Number
C.I.56.40.1
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of mid-19th-century American with this delicate *Wedding Vest* from 1850, crafted by an unknown artist using luxurious silk and practical cotton. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume, this garment exemplifies the era's bridal or groom's attire, where vests served as a key layer in formal wedding ensembles. The combination of shimmering silk—often imported and symbolizing wealth and celebration—with sturdy cotton highlights the blend of opulence and everyday wearability typical of American middle-class aspirations during the antebellum period. In the 1...