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.