Late 19th century French green wool frock-style coat with brass buttons – marked “Aristide Boyer, Marseille” Opera Theatre Costume

This French coat was tailored in the 1890s for formal institutional, ceremonial, or livery use. Made from a green wool and finished to a high standard, it features a double-breasted front with flat brass buttons, broad lapels, and a structured waist seam. The skirt falls in a straight line to just above the knee, and the back is finished with a symmetrical arrangement of eight decorative buttons and shaped panel detailing — a design typical of late 19th-century formalwear, particularly in military or official settings.

The coat is lightly padded at both the chest and shoulders, giving it a sculpted, upright silhouette. The interior is fully lined in a smooth black cotton sateen, with striped cotton sleeve linings in rust and brown tones on cream — all consistent with quality tailoring from the period. Inside the back skirts are concealed tail pockets, lined in a glazed brown cotton — a high-quality, durable material not typically used in costume, indicating that the coat was intended for genuine wear. These tail pockets were used to discreetly store gloves, handkerchiefs, or small personal items while preserving the clean outer line of the garment.

A stamped label in the sleeve reads Aristide Boyer, Marseille, indicating that the coat was later acquired by this well-known French costumer. The cotton underarm pads were likely added at that point to protect the lining during stage use. However, the coat itself was clearly not made as theatrical costume: the quality of construction, the internal finish, and the use of proper tailoring materials all point to an original role in formal or institutional dress.

Measurements

Chest (underarm to underarm): 18.5 in / 47 cm

Shoulders (seam to seam): 15.5 in / 39.5 cm

Sleeve length: 22.5 in / 57 cm

Back waist length: 18 in / 45.5 cm

Neck to hem: 35.5 in / 90 cm

Condition

Really great overall condition. The coat has been freshly laundered and is clean and presentable throughout. There is one area of fading toward the lower front hem (visible in photos), and a rip in the lining near the back seam. Light wear around the collar. All buttons present and intact.