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Three-Piece Suit (habit à la française)

ca. 1778–79

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899

This habit à la française belonged to Benjamin Franklin; it may be the plum-colored silk suit he bought in Paris in 1779, the year he was made American minister to France. The simplicity of dress he became known for was deceiving; tailor bills record luxury suits of vicuña wool, silk, and taffeta. It was the lack of embroidery and the absence of a wig that made Franklin stand out at the court.

Three-Piece Suit (habit à la française), Ribbed silk and linen (reproduction shirt, shoes, and stockings), French — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Three-Piece Suit (habit à la française)

Date: ca. 1778–79

Culture: French

Medium: Ribbed silk and linen (reproduction shirt, shoes, and stockings)

Dimensions: Mounted on form: 60 × 30 × 24 in. (152.4 × 76.2 × 61 cm)

Classification: Main dress-Menswear

Credit Line: Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C. (2012.0187.001)

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