Charles II’s Vest: Fashion Restored in the Restoration

Charles II’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1661.

On April 4, 1660, Charles II of England proclaimed the Declaration of Breda, which pardoned any crimes of the English Civil War. By May 29, 1660, Charles II restored the monarchies and was declared the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In celebration of this day, May 29th is a holiday known as “Oak Apple Day.” However, unbeknownst to many, there is a piece of the Restoration Period that has become a staple in men’s modern fashion.

Fast-forward to October 8, 1666 when Samuel Pepys, the royal diarist, wrote:

“The king hath yesterday in Council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes, which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift, and will do good.”

During this period, the French made cavalier style men’s clothing popular, which entailed ruffles, layers, long waistcoats, and high waist breeches. This haute couture fashion portrayed a soft image that certainly doesn’t read as “I’m ready to fight on the front lines to defend my country.”

Charles II’s announcement to change the English court fashion to a much simpler style came as a surprise. Having spent 10 years of exile in France, I was curious about the reason behind Charles II’s decision to split with French fashion, which was the craze of Europe at the time. The restoration king must have had a clear objective in announcing such a drastic change.

Theory One: This is Great Britain restored, renewed, and refashioned.

Perhaps, Charles II wanted to establish that his royal court was a British court and should not reflect the liking of Versailles. During his time in exile, Charles II had no access to a royal wardrobe, which would traditionally include crowns, scepters, robes, etc. to symbolize his status as a king. Furthermore, without the royal regalia and Cromwell serving as the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the identity of Great Britain was essentially lost; thus, Charles II returning to his kingdom and finding his court resembling a French court could have been reason enough for declaring such a change. Also, establishing a British style and using local materials and tailors would restore pride in the countrymen instead of relying on imported textiles. A distinct British style says at a glance, “I am British, not French!” Lastly, parting ways with the French haute couture was economically friendly.

17th century waistcoat

Theory Two: Invest in luxury fashion or vest up with inexpensive costs?

My second theory is that Charles II saw the importance of prioritizing where money was being spent and securing a stable economy for his kingdom. According to Professor Ronald Hutton, when Charles II initially ascended to the throne after the restoration, Great Britain suffered from “a financial settlement that was simply not adequate to his needs … [and] a shortfall of revenue.” The frustration of a parliament ignoring the financial crisis Charles II inherited correlates to his objective to “teach the nobility thrift.” Charles II’s announcement of introducing the vest, as recorded by Samuel Pepys’, came just days before Pepys recorded sum of expenses to be paid:

“They say the king hath had towards this war expressly thus much.”

Royal Ayde	2,450,000l.
More	1,250,000
Three months’ tax given the King …	0,210,000
Customes … the King did promise to pay 240,000l. …	0,480,000
Prizes, which they moderately reckon at	0,300,000
A debt declared by the Navy, by us	0,900,000
The whole charge of the Navy … for two years and a month	3,200,000

“So what is become of all this sum? 2,390,000.”

By this time in his reign, Charles II’s personal wardrobe looked anything but frugal; however, he is the king and must exude power through fashion as visual rhetoric. Frugality in wardrobe would spare British nobles from sharing the fate of the French court who’s king essentially bankrupted them. The French were truly a (financial) slave to fashion. Charles II proved to be fiscally savvy by passing away as the wealthiest English king at that point of history.

Ending notes: I apologize to any reader that is lost or confused because some key historical information about the English Civil War, Restoration, Cromwell, and French historical background (as I have referenced France in this post) is missing. However, I want to save the details of those fascinating events for a separate post.

Furthermore, if anyone knows how to find the equivalent of the 1666 currency, shown in the table above, to modern British pounds, please help the readers and myself out.