Georgian/Coloenal 18th Centuary

Fabrics and Techniques
Many of the previous era's decorations hung around such as buttons and buttonholes which were mere decoration to the coats. Braid trim, ribbon with coloured thread and delicately embroidered. Fabrics started to become much more lavish as we travelled the world more frequently, fabrics from India, The Middle East and Asia started to be used in fashion for rich peoples coating. Delicate woven materials like the waist coat example below became widely used and very popular for both men and women. Muslin, cotton, linen and lace were still widely used for shirts, insides of jackets, curvets and on women's clothing also. Silks, velvets and damask were used mainly on men's jackets, breeches and now waistcoats.
Shirts
Like the previous Stuart era remained as linen shirts. Embroidery however wasn't often used on them to be replace by lace, the shape and gathering however started to lessen into less possible gathers. The main force of the time was on the jackets which for a time were bold and eccentric in there massive cuffs and skirt pleat features.

Jacket, Waistcoats and Coats
Three piece suit with matching waistcoat and breeches started to become all the rage during this time. Embroidery was used frequently at the beginning of this period around the edges of pockets, cuffs, collars and hems. Open seams started to be needed to get access swords so that the garment doesn't get damaged. On jackets stiffening and padding had completely disappeared from coats to be replaced by curves and over time cut away fronts started to be introduced, beginning to show the shape of tailcoats. The coats had a military feel which mimicked the suits worn by soldiers during the Napoleonic wards. Coats were collarless. In addition to the deep, pointed collar, there are small revers at the front- a new development in cut that dominated men's coats for several decades. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justacorps

Waistcoats lost their skirts and there length, they started to be worn at the waist line and were straight cut across at the waist. So that the waist coat was still seen a short stand collars with step collars was used so that it would petrude from underneath the jacket neckline. 

The coat itself has started to slope back at the bottom, and so it can't button all the way down. This is a great example of something that started out as functional and becomes non-functional but very fashionable. Narrow side pleats, often with a detail to show were the split is
superfine wool with a felted finish. However later in the century, the fullness in the skirt in the coat started to go down and the sleeve cuffs began to shrink. The coat is started to have a sleeker appearance, changing into a frock coat shape.

Waistcoat started off as being long sometime as long as the coat. However the waist coats followed suit with the coats, the waistcoat started to get shorter. Waist coats rose up to the waist as the Regency period started to change fashion.



American made suit dating to 1775-1785. Silk faille, cotton/linen plain weave,  silk, taken from Pintrest

Breeches
Breeches of this time came to just below the knee and were tight fitting on the thighs. They were either buttoned or kept up with a belt and a laced tie in the back helped to adjust the size of the waistband. Stockings came up over the knee and held in place by leather garters worn under the breeches. silk stockings and knee breeches,

Accessories
A typical outfit consisted of leather shoes with a stacked heels with large rounded tongues. At the begin of the era wigs were the most expensive constructed from real human hair but cheaper alternatives were made from wool or horse and goat hair. The look was completed with a tri-corne hat with upturned brim or another form of military style hat with cord or braid. As the century progressed the male silhouette underwent subtle changes; wigs were tied back with ribbon, before falling out of fashion all together. Shoes became low heeled and fastened with buckles, straps or ribbons. Cravat made of silk or tafetta tucked into neck of waistcoat and often were worn in bows.

References:-
Historical Fashion in Detail The 17th and 18th Centuries by Avril Hart and Susan North
Costume 1066-1990s by John Peacock
http://www.fashion-era.com/english-costume/1760-1820-king-george-iii-mens-coat-drawings.htm
http://www.thefashionhistorian.com/2010/02/brief-evolution-of-mens-18th-century.html
http://www.periodclothing.co.uk/Georgian_Fashion.htm
http://www.19th-century-tailoring.co.uk/
https://www.pinterest.com/juliroo/the-way-we-wore-late-georgian-1750-1790/
http://www.wemakehistory.com/
http://shinealightproject.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/the-georgians/
http://mens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/Slideshow:Colonial_Fashion#1