Canada, Dominion. A 48th Highlanders Officer's Formal Black Tie "Prince Charlie" Jacket, c.1900

The jacket is fabricated from a fine-textured black wool on the exterior. It features twenty-seven frosted silver buttons throughout, all of which are diamond-shaped and emblazoned with a thistle, held in place via a pin fed through the loop on the underside. There are black wool shoulder straps on each shoulder, sewn in place at the shoulder end and secured in place via a button at the neck end, with most of the stitching holding the right shoulder strap in place having come away and remaining attached by a few threads. The collar is designed to join into both lapels, both of which exhibit a silk finish from the shoulder-line to near the opening at the base, in the double-breasted style. Sewn in place to the collar and the lapels is a 95 mm wide band of lace, with a small stain on the lace on the right side. The body of the jacket on both sides of the opening on the front has four buttons, three in a stacked formation, the fourth button placed at the base near the opening, with a reinforced button hole above it. In addition, the button on the left side near the opening has a black cord tied to its and is finished in a loop. There are five black wool flaps forming the tail on the reverse, all with black wool undersides, the four larger ones designed with three buttons each, the smaller flap in centre designed without buttons. However, the large flap immediately to the right of the central smaller flap is missing one of its buttons, as it has been lost to time. Each of the four larger flaps is decorated with twin rows of black cord piping, three of the twin rows running in a straight line from each button to the base of the jacket, then framed by a U-shaped twin row of black cord piping. Each of the five flaps is trimmed in a 20 mm wide brown and black embroidered band along the outer edge. Both cuffs have three buttons sewn in place in a staggered formation, the buttons framing a 20 mm wide brown and black embroidered band sewn in place in an L-shape, both cuffs finished with a 95 mm wide band of lace sewn in place to a strip of white satin on the lining on the inside of the cuff, the stitching holding the lace to the right cuff having come away and remains sewn in place via a few threads. The interior of the jacket is lined in black satin, with the sleeves lined in white cotton and feature a repeating design incorporating a series of light blue, yellow and black rules. There is a side-entry pocket on the left side, just inside the opening, with a faded manufacturer's label sewn in place to the underside of the flap. The jacket measures 420 mm across the shoulders x 565 mm in length. Although it has the aforementioned stitching issues on the shoulder strap and cuff lace, the stain on the lace on the front, along with missing one of its twenty-eight buttons, it is free of mothing and soiling in the wool and satin, exhibiting a nice texture and quality workmanship in the fabrics.

Footnote: The Prince Charlie jacket is a formal black tie highland dress that was initially listed in tailor catalogs of the early twenties as a coatee. Over the next couple of decades it became to be called a "Prince Charlie" (PC). When introduced, it was marketed as an alternative to the regulation doublet and was to be worn with a black or white bow tie else white lace jabot, as well as a tartan or red vest. It is a formal evening jacket and not suitable to be worn for day dress with a long tie. It is a short cut jacket with short tails in the back. Embellished with scallop cuffs and silver buttons as well as silver buttons in the double breast style from the front, the back tails also have scallop flaps and silver buttons.