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What is the origin and history of vents in men's coats?

Archivist

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I'm curious about the origins and history of the various styles of vent in men's coats, viz. center vent (and it's variants) side vents, and or course ventless. I have some impressions of the history, but I'd like to hear any input from those students of the history of clothes and tailors who have more authoritative knowledge on the matter.

It's commonly stated that a center vent is an American style, that it is common as it is less expensive to manufacture in ready to wear, and that it is not very attractive as it has the potential to expose one's backside.

Side vents are reportedly British, and more elegant.

Ventless has a Continental reputation, and among those with short attention spans, a reputation for being dated.

But where did they come from?

As far as I can tell, the center vent has the deepest heritage. It is neither American in origin, or the result of RTW manufacturing calculation, but is rather equestrian. We see it in men's coats dating back at least several hundred years (longer if one wants to include a medieval knights surplice), for the simple reason that men needed to sit a horse. It was seen in day coats, then frock coats, morning coats, and other variations of the tail coat. It is still seen among the dress uniforms of European armed forces, esp. those uniforms that have their origin in the 18th and 19th Centuries. A specific question about those uniforms: the vent appears to be offset from teh center a few centimeters, and overlaps. The top of the seam often has buttons. Does this variation have a specific name? It's doesn't look to be a hook vent.

Ventless seems to have been common with Victorian lounge suits, and lounge coats into the early to mid 20th Century. I see this esp. in older movies, but perhaps that was due to explicit costume choices?

When did the side vent make it's appearance? I generally start to notice it in movies and pictures from about mid 20th Century on.
 

clubman

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Originally Posted by Archivist
I'm curious about the origins and history of the various styles of vent in men's coats, viz. center vent (and it's variants) side vents, and or course ventless. I have some impressions of the history, but I'd like to hear any input from those students of the history of clothes and tailors who have more authoritative knowledge on the matter.

It's commonly stated that a center vent is an American style, that it is common as it is less expensive to manufacture in ready to wear, and that it is not very attractive as it has the potential to expose one's backside.

Side vents are reportedly British, and more elegant.

Ventless has a Continental reputation, and among those with short attention spans, a reputation for being dated.

But where did they come from?

As far as I can tell, the center vent has the deepest heritage. It is neither American in origin, or the result of RTW manufacturing calculation, but is rather equestrian. We see it in men's coats dating back at least several hundred years (longer if one wants to include a medieval knights surplice), for the simple reason that men needed to sit a horse. It was seen in day coats, then frock coats, morning coats, and other variations of the tail coat. It is still seen among the dress uniforms of European armed forces, esp. those uniforms that have their origin in the 18th and 19th Centuries. A specific question about those uniforms: the vent appears to be offset from teh center a few centimeters, and overlaps. The top of the seam often has buttons. Does this variation have a specific name? It's doesn't look to be a hook vent.

Ventless seems to have been common with Victorian lounge suits, and lounge coats into the early to mid 20th Century. I see this esp. in older movies, but perhaps that was due to explicit costume choices?

When did the side vent make it's appearance? I generally start to notice it in movies and pictures from about mid 20th Century on.



Here you go; an excerpt from Book III:

So far as vents on coats are concerned: equestrian coats and jackets have to have a single central back vent and shooting jackets often have action backs too - with vents at the shoulders or a vertical, pleated and lapped dorsal vent.

Originally, the informally intentioned lounge suit coats had no vents. After the Second World War and under the influence both of Neil Munro "˜Bunny' Roger (exponent of the New Edwardian style, adapted for the character of John Steed in the 1960s-1970s' television series The Avengers, and later exaggerated by the Teddy Boys - and continued, to some extent by Ozwald Boateng), and exponents of the sleeker "˜Conduit cut', such as Anthony Sinclair, tailor to Sean Connery's screen James Bond, vents started becoming more prevalent in ordinary lounge suits. They had existed before; for example, the Duke of Windsor (as Prince of Wales) had double vents on a 1929 Frederick Scholte suit coat. However, Cary Grant's famous grey checked suit in the 1959 film North by Northwest did not have any vents. In this film Grant plays beleaguered Roger O Thornhill, innocently caught up in espionage and murder:

"What does the "˜O' stand for?"
-\t"Nothing."

In chapter 8 of the 1963 James Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Fleming has Bond mock a suit coat (which he has made to impersonate the baronet Sir Hilary Bray, in his mission to track Ernst Stavro Blofeld), because it has double vents at the back, with the words "˜...quite the little baronet..'
 

Archivist

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Clubman, that is lovely, and quite interesting. Thank you very much.
I've got both your books on order. I look forward to reading them, and to vol. 3 coming out.
 

clubman

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Originally Posted by Archivist
Clubman, that is lovely, and quite interesting. Thank you very much.
I've got both your books on order. I look forward to reading them, and to vol. 3 coming out.


Thanks, Archivist! There is a bit more on vents in Book I too but, as you have that on order, I won't spoil the fun!
 

mktitsworth

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Since this is all very clandestine...


Book I and III of what?
 

mktitsworth

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Originally Posted by Archivist
Ah, sorry if that is not clear. Clubman is the author of books on men's clothing and accessories:

http://www.amazon.com/HISTORY-MENS-F...4220502&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/HISTORY-MENS-A...d_bxgy_b_img_b

A review of the latter at Senior member Will's site, A suitable Wardrobe:
http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/...cessories.html


Ah. Both excellent and terrible. Excellent in that such things exist, and terrible in that I now have more things to buy.
lol8[1].gif
 

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