1895
AMERICAN
Raincoat
American, ca. 1895
Dark green wool twill
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009;
Gift of Mrs. J. Pulaski, 1953 (2009.300.2387)
2020
JW ANDERSON
Coat
Autumn/winter 2020–21
JW Anderson, British, founded 2008
Navy wool-cashmere-nylon plain weave
Courtesy JW Anderson
The volume of the leg-o’-mutton sleeve reached its peak in the mid-1890s. In this high-style double-breasted coat, wool twill is gathered to create ample sleeves that narrow toward the wrists, where they are finished with deep cuffs. A half belt at the back provides subtle shaping through the torso, and an attached hood offers protection from inclement weather.
JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2020–21 “Nouveau Chic” collection was inspired by the exaggerated silhouettes of the past. Anderson reprised the capacious leg-o’-mutton sleeve in this double-breasted coat of wool-cashmere-nylon plain weave. The fabric’s stiffness supports the shape of the sleeve while the silhouette’s narrow waistline and fluted skirt amplify its size. The designer modernized the original design by eliminating the cuff and extending the sleeve over the wrist and hand.
JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2020–21 “Nouveau Chic” collection was inspired by the exaggerated silhouettes of the past. Anderson reprised the capacious leg-o’-mutton sleeve in this double-breasted coat of wool-cashmere-nylon plain weave. The fabric’s stiffness supports the shape of the sleeve while the silhouette’s narrow waistline and fluted skirt amplify its size. The designer modernized the original design by eliminating the cuff and extending the sleeve over the wrist and hand.