4.

Waistcoat of George Washington

First of all, it is so great that we have some of the original clothing that George and Martha wore. This vest is made of silk, linen, wood, and iron. According to the description given on Mount Vernon's website, George took a "keen interest" in fashion. This was considered the height of fashion in the 1780's and George was probably proudly wearing it. I like the finely embroidered flowers on the vest. I never would have thought that flowers would have been acceptable for a man to wear. If a man wore a silk vest with flowers on it, people would probably think he was really weird. But, this shows how different the culture was and how important dressing nicely was. It is fun to imagine one of the paintings of George Washington coming to life wearing this waistcoat, talking to Martha and getting ready to take a carriage ride. Seeing this waistcoat brings George to life a little more than a painting, This waistcoat is thought to be made in either France or England. The Washington's ordered a lot of things from overseas. Martha started to wear clothes that were made only in America in order to support the local business and her husband's political beliefs.