I can't find the reference (which is going to drive me nuts!), but I
seem to remember reading somewhere that it was because blue cloth was
more expensive to manufacture, so wearing a blue coat told people that
you could afford the best.
Emily
On 1/31/2011 7:53 PM, Hope Greenberg wrote:
It's funny how something so commonly known can strike us afresh with
questions. In this case:
It's quite apparent that during the Federal/Empire/Regency or turn of
the 18/19century period* a dark blue coat was the sign of higher
status and, together with black, the most common color for full dress.
The number of mentions in Austen, the number of fashion plates that
show them indicates that this is so. Does anyone have any (documented)
explanations why?
The most common one seems to be "because Beau Brummel says so" though
this blog post suggests a Goethe/Werther connection
(http://austenette.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/the-blue-coat/).
Is it simply a fashion choice that became popular or does anyone know
of an economic, political or other reason for the prominence of the
blue coat? (For example, something like the tax on hair powder
contributing to the demise of that particular fashion, or the tax laws
regarding Irish linen that increased its popularity, etc.)
- Hope
* I'm tempted to start using the abbreviation FER to cover this time
period!
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