areas, this traditional frock buttons up the front in the manner of a coat, while in others it is a pullover style. As such, a frock remains a dense knitted overgarment worn by sailors and fishermen, as guernsey frock, jersey frock (now usually simply guernsey and jersey). 18th century In 18th century Britain and the United States, a frock was an unfitted men's coat for hunting or other country pursuits, with a broad, flat collar, derived from the traditional working-class frock. The precise historical evolution of the frock after the second half of the 18th century is obscure, as is its contrasting features to the justaucorps, the evening wear dress coat, and the supplanting 19th century frock coat. 19th century Some late in the 18th century versions had it made with a cutaway front without a waist seam. This may have been one of the predecessors of the frock coat or at least the dress coat with horizontally cutaway fronts worn for daytime wear by the early 19th century and from which the modern-day evening wear tail dress coat for white tie is derived. The frock coat in turn became cut away into the modern morning coat, giving us the two modern version of tail coats, but the evolution is blurry. Notwithstanding, it seems as if the frock was gradually supplanted by the frock coat in the early 19th century, whereas the former frock style was relegated to evening wear. Shapewise, also the great coat may similarly be historically derived from the frock as it similarly is single breasted, with a high and broad collar, waist pockets, and also lacked a waist seam early in its history as can be seen in an example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Contemporary feminine connotations In contemporary times, a "frock" may still designate a woman's or girl's, or child's dress or light overdress. See also Frock coat Justaucorps "Oil frock", a type of sailor's oilskin Tailcoat References Oxford English Dictionary Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. Walker, George: The Tailor's Masterpiece: All Kinds of Coats, 1838 revised edition, reprinted by R.L. Shep, 2001. . Waugh, Norah: The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600–1900, Routledge, 1964. . External links ApparelSearch glossary of textile and apparel terms 16th-century fashion 17th-century fashion 18th-century fashion 19th-century fashion 20th-century fashion Dresses Frock coats History of clothing (Western fashion) Robes and cloaks