From the Historical Record | Macaroni Waistcoats in Colonial Virginia, 1769
On April 13, 1769, Catherine Rathell, a Williamsburg merchant, advertised an assortment of fashionable imported goods in the Virginia Gazette.
Among the items offered for sale were “maccaroni waistcoats.” But what exactly was a macaroni waistcoat, and where did this unusual name come from?
During the 1760s and 1770s, a fashion emerged among wealthy young British gentlemen who had developed a taste for the extravagant styles of continental Europe, particularly Italy and France. Many had traveled through Europe on the Grand Tour, an educational and cultural journey popular among wealthy young gentlemen. Some returned to Britain with clothing made by continental tailors and a preference for fashions quite different from conventional British dress. While traditional British suits generally featured longer, fuller coats and relatively loose-fitting silhouettes, the fashionable macaroni favored shorter, closely fitted coats, narrow waistcoats and breeches, brilliant colors, and elaborate accessories. The name itself came from the Italian pasta dish, which had become associated with sophisticated continental tastes. These gentlemen soon became favorite subjects of British satirists, who mocked their extravagant clothing, towering hairstyles, and pretensions to fashionable refinement.
Interestingly, on February 11, 1773, the Virginia Gazette published an article titled “Origin of the Word Macaroni,” explaining how the term had come to describe people who exceeded the ordinary bounds of fashion. And yet, only four years earlier, Catherine Rathell had been advertising “maccaroni waistcoats” as fashionable merchandise in colonial Williamsburg! Her advertisement offers a fascinating glimpse into the international influences on 18th-century clothing and the fashionable terminology appearing in Virginia's colonial marketplace. Although the exact appearance of Rathell's waistcoats remains open to interpretation, the advertisement provides an intriguing connection to the broader macaroni fashion of the period.
Original Historical Sources & Further Reading
1. Virginia Gazette (Rind), April 13, 1769 — Page 3, Column 1
Rathell's lengthy advertisement begins approximately halfway down the column, with the heading:
“Just imported and selling by the subscriber, the following ARTICLES, viz.”
Within Catherine Rathell's extensive list of imported merchandise, look for the following passage:
“… blue, and buff super-fine silk pieces for Gentlemen's breeches, maccaroni waistcoats, the very best black, white and coloured China silk hose …”
The reference to “maccaroni waistcoats” appears among other fashionable clothing and accessories offered for sale.
The advertisement ends with Catherine Rathell's name and a postscript concerning additional merchandise.
2. Virginia Gazette (Purdie and Dixon), February 11, 1773 — Page 1, Column 3
“Origin of the Word Macaroni” - an 18th-century explanation of how the term became associated with extravagant fashion and fashionable society. Look on page 1, column 3 (the far-right column), near the top of the page.
3. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Styling the Macaroni Male - Clarissa M. Esguerra, June 8, 2016.
An examination of macaroni fashion using surviving 18th-century garments, including a comparison of Italian and conventional British tailoring. The article also explores the distinctive silhouettes, colors, and accessories associated with macaroni dress