18th Century Woodsman Clothing By Keith H Burgess

Weskit Apologies.

In past articles I have used the term "weskit" to describe an 18th century waistcoat. Today one of my readers contacted me to tell me that this term "weskit" was a 19th century term. From where & from whom I I got this term weskit I can't remember, but regardless it is entirely my own fault for not double checking & doing my own research. So I want to apologies to all my readers for spreading this misinformation, I feel a right twit !!! Especially as I have also written extensively on the importance of doing "your own research" Arrrrggg!

weskit

First use: 1849

Origin: alteration of waistcoat

www​.merriam-webster​.com​/dictionary​/weskit

W ~ Scottish words

Weskit ~ vest

http://www.scottish-wedding-dreams.com/scottish-words.html#W ~ Scottish words

He stuffed this objet trove, whatever it was, into a weskit pocket without looking at it, and carried on briskly.

Adair, Tom (Intro) THREE KINDS OF KISSING - SCOTTISH SHORT STORIES

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/weskit

Virginia Piedmont (20)
When an R comes after a vowel, it becomes UH, and AW becomes the slided sound, AH-AW. Thus, four dogs becomes fo-uh dah-awgs. Some local words are: hoppergrass(grasshopper), old-field colt (illegitimate child), school breaks up (school lets out), weskit (vest).

http://robertspage.com/dialects.html

weskit A colloquial rendering of the word 'waistcoat'

http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/words.html

Waistcoat+(or WesKit) Waistcoats vests were worn by most men as a normal part of their everyday clothing  in both summer and winter. Sleeved waistcoats were much preferred for winter. They were worn over the shirt and breeches and under a frock or coat. They were made of linen, fustian, silk or fine wool twill, and almost always lined. The length of the waistcoat was determined by the wearer, In the mid 1700s they were generally mid thigh and got shorter as the century progressed. They may have been striped, printed, checked, or solid, and matched or contrasted with the breeches and the coat. While many waistcoats were cut to fit the wearer snugly and fashionable, others were made with lacing or ties on the back to draw the waistcoat snug. Lacing or ties are very practical for weight gain and loss, but were seldom used on sleeved waistcoats. Most waistcoats had front pockets at the waist, yet some had "false pockets" with only a pocket flap complete with buttonholes.

https://www.usi.edu/media/2941933/Historic-Costuming.pdf

WESKIT / WAISTCOAT The waistcoat was considered a “must” for wear if one did not have a jacket or coat on. Waistcoats were fashionable and daily wear for men of this time. Both sleeveless and sleeved waistcoats are correct.

JAEGER’S BATTALION ROGERS’ RANGERS A GUIDE FOR PROPER CLOTHING AND GEAR IN THE 1750s

http://www.schrothscompany.com/document_folder/Clothing_and_Equipment_Guide_-_Team_final_copy.pdf

Weskit "Das Kamisol": Made of white linen in the 1770's style is the primary weskit used for the summer uniform while weskits of hunter green wool is generally used for winter wear. Both the summer and winter weskit typically have pockets but is not a requirement. Weskits of other colors and materials may be used as an option but should be of the 1770's style.

http://www.jaegerkorps.org/Uniforms2.html

Our unit chooses to follow these guidelines, as they seem the most likely conclusions based on primary documents. It should be noted however, that we are choosing to wear the Light Infantry pattern weskit that was approved by the King in 1771.

http://www.butlersrangers.ca/bruniform.pdf

The pronunciation given for the word falcon by eighteenth-century authorities ... of words with their actual spelling: waistcoat (formerly pronounced “weskit”),

Breeding: A Partial History of the Eighteenth Century

https://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=0231511116

 (we are talking about a country where “breeches” is pronounced “britches” and “waistcoat” is “weskit”).

http://historyhoydens.blogspot.com.au/2007_07_01_archive.html

 "Waistcoat" used to be pronounced /'wEskIt/. ...... end of the 18th Century and regarded as a foreign word down to the middle of the 19th.

Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu ...

A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLISH SPELLING Table 2.2 Some recent spelling-pronunciations Spelling Old pronunciation New pronunciation again / e en/ (a-genn) / e e✁ n/ (a-gain) conduit / k ✂nd✁ t/ (kundit) / k✄ndw✁ t/ (kondwit) forehead / f✄r ✁ d/ (forrid) / f c :hed/ (forhedd) nephew / nevju:/ (nev-yoo) / nefju:/ (neff-yoo) often / ✄fn/ (off’n) / ✄ft e n/ (offt’n) waistcoat / wesk✁ t/ (weskit) / we✁ sk e☎ t/ (waisscoat)

http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/469/1/mitton2.pdf ftp://ftp.iingen.unam.mx/Documentacion/Faqs/alt-usage-english-faq.txt

   b. A short garment worn beneath the coat or jacket as a usual part of male attire; a waistcoat. 

1666   S. Pepys Diary 8 Oct. (1972) VII. 315   The King hath yesterday in council, declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes... It will be a vest, I know not well how. But it is to teach the nobility thrift.

1666   S. Pepys Diary 15 Oct. (1972) VII. 324   This day the King begins to put on his Vest..being a long Cassocke close to the body, of black cloth and pinked with white silk under it, and a coat over it, and the legs ruffled with black riband like a pigeon's leg.

http://eighteenthcenturylit.pbworks.com/w/page/89630270/Waistcoat

 So, it seems that the word or term "weskit" may well be 18th century, BUT, it was a pronunciation, NOT a written word to describe a waistcoat or vest.
Keith.

Man's At-home Robe (Banyan) and Waistcoat

Man's At-home Robe (Banyan) and Waistcoat

France, circa 1720

Costumes; ensembles

Silk satin with silk supplementary-weft patterning

a) Robe center back length: 29 1/4 in. (74.3 cm); b) Waistcoat center back length: 55 3/4 in. (141.61 cm)

Costume Council Fund (M.2010.90a-b)

Costume and Textiles

http://collections.lacma.org/node/221317

Sewing Proper Buttonholes. Short Video.

Thoughts on Wearing a Shirt.

It appears that some people think that the common shirt can be worn outside of the breeches. Now it has always been my understanding that the shirt was only worn out when wearing a breechclout. Further, it is my understanding that the undershirt was usually worn under other clothing, such as a waistcoat/weskit, jacket or  frock. There were acceptions of course, when men were working hard outside in summer they were known to remove outer clothing and work in shirt sleeves, but I have yet to see documentation that sais the shirt was deliberately pulled out of the breeches. The common shirt was in fact made very long, so that it could be tucked between the man's legs, & was in fact underwear.

This could be a shirt or a frock, depending on the weight of the material used. Frocks were generally made using a heavier material than was used for making an undershirt. This one appears to be buttoned at the neck, so it is more than likely a shirt and not a frock.

This claims to be a mid 18th century French undershirt, but it also claims to be made of a heavy flax linen. This is therefore in my opinion in fact a French froc/frock. Also note the linen ties at the neck. 

An 18th century bricklayer wearing a long sleeved weskit over a shirt.

A French peasant working in the fields. Note his undershirt is worn inside his breeches.

Again, no waistcoat for this peasant field worker, but his shirt is worn inside his breeches.

These two soap makers are wearing frocks.

This is a Dutch postman wearing a frock.

An Italian butcher wearing a frock.

A field worker in Brussels wearing a frock.

I think we can safely assume that these living historians interpreting French milice at Bedford Village are in fact either wearing breeches and frock, or they are wearing breechclout and shirt or frock.

Bedford Villiage- La Milice de la Belle Riviere 2009 

http://www.donegaltownshipriflemen.org/category/photo-gallery/milice-photos/

Lee's Observation on wearing two Waistcoats.

My thanks to Lee for drawing my attention to the following painting. The man on the left does appear to be wearing a sleeveless waistcoat over a sleeved waistcoat.

Lord Boyne in the cabin of his ship 1730-31

More Than One Weskit.

You may remember the post I made a long time ago regarding the wearing of more than one weskit/waistcoat in winter. Well here is some more documentation.

 

As you can see, some waistcoats had sleeves.

The body of a man found drowned in the Sault St-Louis opposite the house of Andre Lamarre; approximately five feet and a half tall, long auburn hair with a braid held against the head with a rosary, a shirt of common linen, a pair of breeches of homespun linen, a white short waistcoat, another brown one and a waistcoat fastened with a double row of pewter buttons, blue leggings.

Parish of Saint-Antoine-de-Longueuil. 1747

Costume in New France, 1740-1760: A Visual Dictionary by Suzanne and Andre Gousse, page 66:

This information found at: http://illinoishabitant.blogspot.com.au/

Wearing Two Waistcoats.

The Diary of Samuel Pepys

Sunday 9 May 1669.
"This day I first left off both my waistcoats by day, and my waistcoat by night, it being very hot weather, so hot as to make me break out, here and there, in my hands, which vexes me to see, but is good for me".

" and my waistcoat by night". Does he mean at night as in bed?

Early Clothing In A Later Period.

I have mentioned before, that in my view you are better off wearing early styles of clothing because they cover a wider era. Some have argued that this did not happen with the upper class because they were very fashion concious. So here are some images of the "upper crust" wearing long vests/weskits/waistcoats from the early 18th century in a later period.

1733. Also note that his stockings are worn over the breeches leg at the knee.

1745.

1741.

1771.