18th Century Mariners' Cuffs

Last updated: Jan 5, 2024

Regarding this style of cuff, Paul Dickfoss writes:

The modern term “mariner’s cuff” (à la marinière) we could just as well call a “slashed cuff” or “cuff in the style of a sailor’ or “sailor’s cuff” or “soldier’s cuff” … It is first seen in the 1730s but becoming more common in the 1750s-1760s on the sleeves of boys & working class men, gentleman, enlisted soldiers & officers. This style of cuff comes in many variations but can make an interesting touch to a man’s jacket or coat.

In addition to men’s coats, the mariner’s cuff also appears on women’s riding habits and redingotes, which adopted details from contemporary menswear. The term à la marinière appears in the descriptive text accompanying some fashion plates from 1786.

• A shoeblack in the right foreground of A Boxing Match in London by Andreas Möller, 1737
• Self portrait by Maurice Quentin de la Tour, 1737
• Cornelis Wynkoop by Pieter Vanderlyn, c. 1743
• The Young Artists by Philippe Mercier, c. 1745
• Jaco-Independo-Rebello-Plaido, 1747
• Portrait of an Unknown Boy Fishing, Possibly Christopher Lethieullier by Arthur Devis, 1749
• Carpenter taking his meal by Gerrit van Zegelaar, mid-18th century
• V&A T.197-1984, a woman’s riding coat, made in England c. 1750-1759
• V&A 467-1907, a broadcloth man’s coat with a brown velvet collar, made in England c. 1750-1759
• The Murder of Kenith Hossack by Captain Lowry by Samuel Wale
• British Resentment or the French fairly Coopt at Louiſbourg, 1755
• V&A T.6-1985, a man’s coat of checked linen, probably made in France c. 1755-1765
• The Comte and Chevalier de Choiseul as Savoyards by François-Hubert Drouais, 1758
• The Stocking Merchant by Paul Sandby, 1759
• London Cries: A Muffin Man by Paul Sandby, c. 1759
• London Cries: A man with a basket, selling pots and pans by Paul Sandby
• The knowing one taken in, c. 1760
• A man in a tricorn hat holding a fur muff by Thomas Patch, 1760s
• Dr Oliver and Mr Peirce, the First Physician and Surgeon Examining Patients Afflicted with Paralysis, Rheumatism and Leprosy by William Hoare, 1761
• John Campbell, Lord Glenorchy, 3rd Earl Breadalbane
• Joseph Scott by John Singleton Copley, c. 1765
• The Lilly-White Maccaroni
• Andrew Wilkinson, 1775
• Portrait of a boy, said to be General James Wolfe, by Philip Mercier
• Rural Life
• Several of the men in the Cries of Dublin, 1760
• National Trust 1348768, a country coat, c. 1760-1775
• Three sons of John, 3rd Earl of Bute by Johan Zoffany, c. 1763-1764
• Francis Burdett by Francis Cotes, 1764
• Portrait of a Host by Peter Jakob Horemans, 1765
• A Sailor giving a Patagonian Woman some Biscuit for her Child, 1767
• John Amory by John Singleton Copley, 1768
• Portrait of his son sketching by Nathaniel Hone, 1769
• The human passions, 1773
• The Mutual Embrace, 1774
• Paternal Love by Ètienne Aubry, c. 1775
• A lady’s riding coat, British, c. 1775
• George Robertson by John Francis Rigaud, 1776
• The Fond Parents, 1776
• Tight Lacing, or Fashion before Ease, c. 1777
• Bachelor’s Fare, or Bread and Cheese with Kisses, 1777
• L’homme à la besace by Françoise Duparc, 1778
• Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley, 1778 (also at NGA)
• Young draftsman in a black hat and another young draftsman by Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié
• A countryman carrying a dead rabbit to solicit A Country Attorney, c. 1780
• The Sailor’s Pleasure, 1781
• The Country Tooth-Drawer, 1784
• Card players in a tavern by Jan Ekels, 1784
• Claud Alexander with his brother Boyd, attended by an Indian servant by Johann Zoffany
• The Sharp Family by Johann Zoffany, c. 1779-1781
• Lighting fireworks, Beschrijving van kunst vuurwerken, c. 1780
• Midshipman Augustus Brine by John Singleton Copley, 1782
• Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire by Hugh Douglas Hamilton
• Portrait of a little boy holding a marionette
• A sailor’s double-breasted jacket from the wreck of the General Carleton of Whitby, 1785
• Voyage to Margate, 1786
• Fortune’s Favourites: or Happiness in every Situation, 1786
• Cabinet des Modes, 10e Cahier, 1ere Planche, April 1, 1786: “The Frock coat that the young Man wears that we drew in the FIRST PLATE, has a short height, marked by buttons attached on the hips, with long basques with pockets, descending to under the garter, and which sleeves open à la Marinière, with two buttons.”
• Cabinet des Modes, 14e Cahier, 1ere Planche, June 1, 1786: “The Coat of the young Man is trimmed with large white buttons in mother-of-pearl. The ends of the sleeves are open à la Marinière, and two matching buttons hold them closed a little above on the sides.”
• Cabinet des Modes, 16e Cahier, 1ere Figure, July 1, 1786: “The lapels, the pockets, and the sleeves à la Marinière are trimmed with buttons of white pearl.”
• Cabinet des Modes, 20e Cahier, 1ere Figure, September 1, 1786: “The Lady drawn in this Plate was in half-mourning, and wore a redingote of light grey taffeta, with three large falling collars, with sleeve à la Marinière, and with vertical pockets on the sides.”
• A lady who is dressed for riding in Cabinet des Modes, 21e Cahier, 1ere Figure, September 15, 1786: “She is dressed in a coat of puce Pekin, with three collars, with slightly long basques, and with sleeves à la Marinière. The fronts of the coat, the pockets and sleeves à la Marinière, are trimmed with little flat buttons of white ivory. There are ten of them on each side of the fronts, three on the sleeves, and five on each pocket.”
• Cabinet des Modes, 23e Cahier, 1ere Figure, October 15, 1786: “The fashion for children of both sexes is to wear men's redingotes, in wool, with two collars, and with sleeves à la Marinière.”
• A woman in a redingote in Cabinet des Modes, 24e Cahier, 2e Figure, November 1, 1786: “The redigote, with two collars and sleeves à la Marinière, is of water green cloth, spotted with a darker green.”
• A woman in a redingote in Magasin des Modes, 2e Cahier, Plate I , November 30, 1786: “The collar and cuffs, slit à la Marinière, are of dark green satin. The buttons are of mother-of-pearl, with a little gold dot in the middle.”
• Smithfield Sharpers, or the Countrymen Defrauded, 1787
• Portrait of a boy by Francis Wheatley, c. 1790
• Portrait of the artist’s son as a drummer by Martin Drolling
• The Misses Van and Lady Salisbury by Lady Salesbury, 1791
• A redingote worn by Mrs. William Moseley (Laura Wolcott) with her son Charles by Ralph Earl, 1791
• The Wandering Sailor by Henry Singleton, 1798

H/T to Paul Dickfoss for suggesting this topic and many of the links here.