In rural areas, frock coats were worn only on Sundays, at weddings, or on other dress-up occasions. The brown coat on the right dates from the 1840s, the other is a little later; the former is of fulled, woollen cloth and, since there were fulling mills in many parts of the province, it may be a local product. Fulling is a shrinking process which mats the fibres together, making the cloth firm and long wearing. It does not require hemming and this coat has raw edges around the bottom. The fronts extend to the two back sections which are joined by a centre seam. The sleeves are slightly gathered into the armhole. Sleeves of the 1820s and 1830s had more gathering, reflecting the big sleeves of women's dress of the day. The coat is entirely hand sewn.
The light brown cotton twill coat, on the left, is country wear and may also be a home product. It is shorter than the brown coat and is called a frock jacket. These were the sports jackets of the day. The cut is later than the frock coat. It has side pieces, called side bodies, set in under the armholes. These were introduced in the 1840s. The narrow collar is also a later style. The breast flap pockets are a feature found only in sporting attire, though frock coats sometimes had a welted breast pocket. A kerchief or scarf would be worn around the neck, rather than a cravat. Trousers would be worn with both coats but sturdy breeches would go with the frock jacket.
Courtesy: Upper Canada Village, The St. Lawrence Parks Commission, and Royal Ontario Museum
