by Junius Brutus Stearns, 1860. Oil on canvas, on display at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. (Click to biggerize!) |
The overshirt can be regarded as the quintessential garment of the working and lower-middle classes, being a comfrortable, lightweight, yet durable, shirt. From the b'hoy stomping along the Bowery to the farmer or hobby fisherman, overshirts adorned the backs of men throughout the middle 19th century. The overshirt is derived from the earlier oversmock or frock. Examples of these survive in the collections of Old Sturbridge Village, and can be seen in the paintings of William Sidney Mount ("Haying Scene" - 1835 {New York Historical Society}, and "Cider Making" - 1841 {Metropolitan Museum of Art}). My overshirts are drawn from the details of Junius Brutus Stearns' wonderful painting A Fishing Party Off Long Island. Even within this painting, there are many variations among the 6 overshirts. The body is one-piece, but they can have a slit or full button placket, are with and without shoulder straps, and straight or curved collars. They are made from soft wool flannel, and as these are meant to be worn over another shirt, which may already have a cravat tied, please order one to two chest sizes larger than your average shirt, and 1 - 1 1/2" larger than you neck size. |
