A Suit Coat That Makes a Statement
George Washington’s inaugural suit was more than attire; it was a statement of national identity.
In early 1789, as Washington prepared for his first inauguration, he was influenced by a call from a "Philadelphia mechanic" published in The Federal Gazette, urging American statesmen to wear domestically produced clothing. Washington, ever conscious of his role as the nation's leader, took this suggestion to heart, commissioning a suit crafted from American wool.
The suit itself included a frock coat, waistcoat, and breeches, combining essential elements of an 18th-century gentleman’s formal attire.
After Washington’s death, the coat passed to a niece and nephew, and later generations took souvenirs from it. One full tail of the coat, all of the buttons, and the silk lining were cut out. In 1930, Elizabeth Taylor Tilford Keferstein (Mrs. Carl Bismarck Keferstein) presented it to Mount Vernon.
