A Musical Soirée

The man's suit was composed of three basic articles of clothing: a fitted knee-length coat, the waistcoat, and breeches-plainly the forerunners of today's business suit. Women had a greater variety of clothing, but the most common attire was a jacket and petticoat. In the first half of the 18th century the deep tailored pleats of the coat tails and large-cuffed wide sleeves were typical of this apparel following the influences of the rococo style. Light colours in different hues and with floral motifs were preferred by women. Men tended to wear single-colour attire, relieved by profuse embroidery.