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Boys wore pantalettes with a wide variety of clothes from dresses to pants for most of the 19th century. They were most common with skierted garments, especially dresses. One topic we are not entirely sure about. Is petticoiats. We are not sure that pantalettes were worn with petticioats. While pantalettes were generally made and worn to be seen, his was not the case of petticoats. We see them with other garments as well. They were worn with kilt suits that were especially popular in America. This is often not apparent becasuse kilt suits were commonly worn at long length. Thus it is often not clear what the boys are worn with kilt suits. Some imasges, however, do show pantalettes. The garments worn changed as the century progressed. Interestingly at the beginning of the 19th century they were worn with dresses and long pants--long pants being at the time a destinctive boys' garment not worn by gentlemen. Pantalettes were not very common with knee pants with the exception of Little Lord Faunleroy suits. We note them worn with both long stockings and short socks. They were worn wih different typoes of shoes. High-top shoes were mpre common in America than Europe. European boys were more likely to wear low-cut shoes klike strap shopes. Here it is not a matter of diiferent attitudes toward appropriasteness, but just that strap shoes were more common in Europe for both boys ahnd girls.
Pantalettes are most associated with dresses. In fact boys wore pantalettes with dresses throughout the 19th century--although the dresses over that period varied substantially. Dresses in the early 19th century were quite long and pantalettes might be barely visible at the hem. As children's dresses became shorter, pantalettes might be visible from the knee to the ankle.
HBC at this time has little information about pantalettes worn with smocks. I believe they were, but have little information at this time.
Kilts and kilt suits were commonly worn by boys in the second half og the 19th century. The kilt suit was especially important in America. Pantalettes were much less common with kilt suiys than dresses, but they were worn with kilt suits. The pantalettes when wirn with kilt suits were the shorter ones, barely visible at the kilt hem. They were worn with kilt suits that were especially popular in America. This is often not apparent becasuse kilt suits were commonly worn at long length. Thus it is often not clear what the boysd are worn with kilt suits. Some images, however, do show pasntalettes. Actual Highland kilts, however, were not worn with plantalettes.
One topic we are not entirely sure about. Is petticoiats. We are not sure that pantalettes were worn with petticioats. While pantalettes were generally made and worn to be seen, his was not the case of petticoats.
Tunics were also worn through much of the 19th century. At mid-century, pantalettes were worn by younger boys with tunics. When the boy grew older he might continue wearing a tunic, but with knicker style pants replacing the pantalettes. Infornmation on tunics in the early 19th century is not available, but clearly tunics were being worn at mid-century. They appear less common in the 1870s and 80s. Tunics reappeared at the turn of the 20th century, but by that time they were no longer worn with pantalettes
Similar to the tunic is a jacket-like garment worn with pantalettes. The jacket is worn much like a tunic, although it has front button openings. The tunic has not front openings like most boys' garments. I have noted on a fewcinstances of this style.
The garments worn changed as the century progressed. Interestingly at the beginning of the 19th century they were worn with dresses and long pants--long pants being at the time a destinctive boys style. Pantalettes were worn with both long pants and kneepants. Boys wore long pants skelleton suits. Often the pants ended at ankle level wgich was then coverd with panalettle ruffles. Later when kneepants became increasing popuklar for boys in the 1870s pantalettes were less common, but younger boys might wear them with kneepants or knickers. Pantalettes were not very coimmon with knee pants with the exception of Little Lord Faunleroy suits.
We note pantalettes worn with both long stockings and short socks.
They were also worn wih different typoes of shoes. High-top shoes were mpre common in America than Europe. European boys were more likely to wear low-cut shoes klike strap shopes. Here it is not amatter of diiferent attitudes toward appropriasteness, but just that strap shoes were more common in Europe for both boys ahnd girls.
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