#1794 $1,975 Sold
Gentleman's broad fall front trousers, c.1850
When trousers became popular for men after the French Revolution, they retained the narrow fall front found on 18th century breeches. The fly front began appearing in trousers in the mid 1840s, and the fall front grew wider. Both styles coexisted for a period of years.
The machine stitching and broad-fall front (the fall goes from hip to hip) of our linen trousers point to the mid 19th century. While the sewing machine was invented in the 1830s, it did not come into widespread use until 1850-60.
The trousers are fashioned from natural beige linen. The pockets and facings are écru cotton. The pockets, which are diagonally set in, are hidden by the fall front—see the detail pictures below. The trousers retain all of the original bone buttons.
The condition is excellent. The trousers show signs of minimal wear. The center front and back seams are stitched by hand, indicating that the seams were let up to make the trousers larger. For an artifact of men's fashion from over 150 years ago, the trousers are in amazingly good condition.
It measures: 40" waist, 44" hip, 34" inseam and 48 1/2" from the waist to the hem.
