From George Washington to Thomas Gibson, 18 July 1771
To Thomas Gibson
[Williamsburg] July 18th 1771.
Sir,
The followg are directions by wch you will please to make a Coat & Waistcoat for me, & Sundry things for Mr Custis, pr our Measures Inclosed.1
A Plain Coat for Riding, of Superfine blew broad Cloth—with plain flat dble gilt Buttons
A Waistct to suit Do either of the same Cloth or otherwise as shall be thought most genteel no Bree[che]s will be wantg of (Cloth) as Buck are wrote for.
- A Very hande & fashe Suit of Cloaths made of Superfe brd Cloth for Dress.
- A Very hande & fashe Suit of thinr Do for Sumr Wear—made eithr of brd Clth, Cassimr of Silk for Do
- 2 fashe & hande washd Inda Waistts one with gold the other with Silvr Sprigs—if they be in taste—if not something fashionable in lieu of them.
- A handsome Silk Do fashe made
- A pr of black Silk kitt Breeches
- A pr of Superfine Everlasting Ditto
- A fashe Sartout Coat of best blew Bever Coating
For Mr Custis
If it ever shd be the taste of the prest times to wear short Cloaths I shd not like to have mine made in the extreame of it, as it is a fashion I nevr admird—And as Mr Custis is yet a growg it wd be imprudent to dock his too much least they shd be too sml when they arrive; for this reason also it may not be amiss to lay in a little of the Cloth at the Seams that the Cloaths may be let out if they should prove too small. I am Sir Yr Servt &ca
Go: Washington
ALB, DLC:GW. This letter was enclosed in GW’s letter of 20 July 1771 to Robert Cary & Co. In the letter book it is directed “To—.” In his invoice of goods (see GW to Cary, 20 July, enclosure), GW orders “a Riding Coat & waistcoat pr Meas[ur]e, & Letter to whom you may direct it being a good Taylor.” GW had recently changed tailors, after complaining for years about the poor work and overcharges of Charles Lawrence. See especially GW to Lawrence, 10 Aug. 1764 and 20 June 1768.
In Kent’s Directory for the Year 1769 (London, 1769), 71, John and Thomas Gibson are listed as lacemen on no. 5 Laurence Lane in London.
1. Robert Cary & Co. sent the clothes along with those items listed in its invoice of 3 Dec. 1771.