*British, WW1, Royal Navy Commander’s Full Dress Tailcoat, King’s Crown Buttons, Gold Rank Lace*
A First World War period Royal Navy officer’s full dress tailcoat, of dark blue wool construction, fitted with gilt King’s Crown fouled-anchor buttons and gold lace rank insignia to the cuffs, the lace showing three full stripes with executive curl indicating the rank of Commander, Royal Navy.
The coat is of regulation double-breasted form with high stand collar, long skirted tails to the rear, and gilt waist buttons, retaining its original gold lace decoration to the collar, cuffs, and rear pocket flaps. The cuffs are mounted with gold lace rank braid on white backing, and the collar is trimmed with gold lace consistent with early 20th-century Royal Navy full dress uniforms.
The interior retains its original quilted black lining with cream skirt lining, typical of privately tailored officer’s garments of the period. The construction, materials, and tailoring are consistent with uniforms produced by approved naval outfitters in accordance with Admiralty regulations.
King’s Crown buttons confirm manufacture during the reign of King George V (1910–1936), and the high-collar full dress pattern is correct for the Edwardian and First World War period.
Approx. Measurements – Small, Shoulder width: 40 cm. Sleeve length: 58 cm.
Historical Note:
This garment is the regulation Royal Navy full dress tailcoat, the formal double-breasted pattern with skirted tails to the rear, worn with epaulettes, sword belt, and bicorn hat for ceremonial and full dress occasions. In the early 20th century this represented the highest order of naval dress for commissioned officers.
During the First World War, full dress uniform was placed in abeyance from 1916 until the end of the war, meaning it was no longer worn during wartime service, making surviving wartime-period examples comparatively scarce.
The three gold lace stripes to the cuffs denote the rank of Commander, Royal Navy, a senior commissioned rank often held by officers commanding destroyers, submarines, or serving as Executive Officer aboard larger vessels such as cruisers or battleships. The presence of the executive curl in the upper stripe identifies the wearer as a line (executive) officer, meaning he belonged to the command branch eligible to take command of a ship, rather than a specialist branch such as Engineer, Paymaster, or Medical officer.
Royal Navy officers were required to purchase their uniforms privately from approved naval tailors, and while made to individual measurements, they followed strict Admiralty dress regulations, resulting in high-quality tailored garments such as the present example.
*Condition*
Excellent original condition for age. Cloth with age wear, light fading and minor marks. Gold lace toned and slightly worn in places but largely intact.
Kings Crown buttons present and matching. Collar lining worn. Interior quilted lining with wear, thinning, and small holes in places. Some staining and moth damage to skirt lining. No obvious modern alterations noted. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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