Materials and Making

From the later seventeenth century, men's gowns or banyans had been imported ready-made from India, sometimes to be altered to fit in England. They could also be entirely bespoke from Indian calicos, British printed cottons, or silk damasks from Spitalfields or Lyons. This example is made of cotton calico, woven and painted in coloured floral sprays as a length in India. It may also have been quilted in the simple diamond-pane grid in India, and then exported; or else quilted in Britain before being made-up into the morning gown for the client. Unlike the loose banyans cut as a simple T-shape, this is a more fitted garment, with attached waistcoat fronts to fasten below. This made it a suitable garment for receiving guests in a domestic setting, whilst the quilting ensured that it would be a warm covering on winter evenings.

This gown is said to have been worn by King George lll and then presented by him to the secretary of his Lord Chamberlain as a gift or perquisite. Such patronage was part of the grist of courtly life, helping to maintain bonds and build relationships. Any attached royal connection like this, ensures that a garment is treasured and preserved, immensely aiding its survival through the generations.

Full item descriptions:

"gown & banyan" [1951.11]

Related Themes:

Banyans & Men's Gowns
Quilting
18th Century Men's Fashion