Groom’s formal wedding attire usually is a 3-piece suit, including a waistcoat. Waistcoats can make practically any male suit look more elegant, festive, and formal. Many grooms today choose to wear a waistcoat for their wedding. Luckily, there’s a huge variety of modern wedding vests available – in classic, retro, contemporary, traditional style, etc. But maybe you would like to wear a replica of an authentic 19th-century groom’s waistcoat? Here are a few charming examples of the 1800s wedding vests from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
These photos are from The Met Museum
All of these wedding waistcoats are decorative and charming. They’re adorned with embroidery or prints and made from costly fabrics. The cut and design are slightly different, though, the color is usually cream or ivory. They probably looked fabulous on 19th-century grooms and matched in color the bride’s wedding dress.
British wedding vest made from silk and linen. It is dated 1808
British wedding waistcoat with wide collar and floral print made from silk, 1830s
Tight-fitting British wedding vest made from silk, cotton, and leather. It has a lovely print on the fabric. This vest is dated 1840-1849
American wedding vest embellished with gorgeous embroidery, 1846. This waistcoat is made from wool and silk
American wedding waistcoat with cute pattern, 1850. It’s made from silk and cotton
American wedding vest adorned with pretty embroidery, dated the mid-19th century. Silk and cotton were used to make the vest
Charming American silk wedding waistcoat with leaf print, 1856
Tight-fitting American wedding vest made from silk, cotton, and leather. It has a lovely leaf print on the fabric. This vest is dated the third quarter of the 19th century
Black American wedding waistcoat from 1879 made from wool and silk. It is decorated with beautiful embroidery
American silk wedding vest adorned with a lot of floral embroidery, dated 1892
