A Change in Fashion

I don’t care much for the canal,

     Nor ‘bout the ships that fly;

The tariff bill don’t worry me,

     Although it may bimeby.

But one thing I would like to know –

     All other questions pale;

How can I have my ol’ frock coat

     Cut to a smaller tail?

c. April 27, ‘09

 

A frock coat is a man's coat characterized by a knee-length skirt (often cut just above the knee) all around the base, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The double-breasted style is sometimes called a Prince Albert (after the consort to Queen Victoria). The frock coat is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a center vent at the back, and some features unusual in post-Victorian dress. These include the reverse collar and lapels, where the outer edge of the lapel is cut from a separate piece of cloth from the main body, and also a high degree of waist suppression, where the coat's diameter round the waist is much less than round the chest. This is achieved by a high horizontal waist seam with side bodies, which are extra panels of fabric above the waist used to pull in the naturally cylindrical drape.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frock_coat