Figure 1.--This English was child was from Newboro' Scarborough. The photographer was Cromack. It is also undated, but was probably taken in the 1870s or early 80s. We are unsure if this child is a boy or girl. The short hair sometimes suggests a boy, but some girls had short hair as well. There are no props to help identify the image. Note that pantalettes here are being worn with dark stockings. Interestingly the cabinent card on which this portrait was pasted was printed in Paris, a factor in leading us to date it to the 70s rather than the 80s.

Pantalettes were worn by English children for about a century. Pantalettes were extensively worn by English children, both boys and girls in the 19th century. The pattern described for America above appears to have been similar in England. Quite a few available images show English children, including boys wearing pantalettes. They were worn with both dresses, tunics, and skeleton suits. Pantalettes appear to have been more common in England as American travelers to England have commented on the fashion for boys to wear them. Apparently older boys wore them in England than in America. They were worn with a variety of hosiery types.

Chronology

Pantalettes were worn by English children for about a century. We believe that English boys began wearing pantalettes at the turn of the 19th century, although we have little actual information at this time, especiall on the early 19th century. The earliest photographic image we have at this time is an unidentified boy, perhaps in the 1840s. The boy wears psantalettes with a kilt suit. They were worn with both dresses, tunics, and skeleton suits. Pantalettes were a well established garment for boys and girls by the 1830s. We notice them being commonly worn in the the 1860s and 70s. They were still worn in the 1880s and did not disappear until the late 1890s. The primary change over this time was the length of the pantalettes wirn.

Prevalence

The pattern described for America above appears to have been similar in England. Quite a few available images show English children, including boys wearing pantalettes. Pantalettes appear to have been more common in England as American travelers to England have commented on the fashion for boys to wear them. They were very common for children wearing dresses and other skirted garments throuhout the 19th century. They were becoming less common n the 1890s, but still worn. This was especially the case for very young children.

Age

Pantalettes were primarily, but not entirely associate with younger boys wearing dresses and other skirted garments. Thus we see ery young boys wearing pbtalettes and they wore them until bring breeched. Most English boys were breeched at about 3-5 years of age. Some boys wore them with fancy outfits like Fauntleroy suits after breeching, but this was not real common, except for the boys breeched at an earlyvage. Apparently a few older boys also wore pantalettes n England. We have noted English boys up to about age 11 wearing them. This was surely the exception rather than the rule.

Written Accounts

One American visitor to England wrote in Punch during 1850:

... the children look really punchy. It strikes me the young ones are dressed more boyishly than in America. Quite large children, of both sexes, are dressed exactly alike, and whether girls or boys (they look between both), you cannot guess-girls with fur hats, such as full-grown men wear, and boys in short dresses and pantalettes.

Hosiery

The hosiery worn with pantalettes varied. We have noted children wearing both three-quarter length white socks as well as whote and dark-colored long stockings. Given the balck and white photography of the day it is difficult to assess the color. In many cases it was black, but this was not always the case. The balck stockinfs of course make the pantalettes stand out more than if white stockings are being worn. We do not yet have sufficient images to assess the chronolgical trends concerning the hosiery worn with pantalettes. In the early 19th century when children wore long dresses and long pants skelleton suits, it is rather difficult to assess what style of hosiery was being worn. When hem lines began to rise, at first children continued wearing long pantgalettes. By the 1860s, however, it is usually possible to identify the type of hosiery being worn.

Social Class

Again there appears to have been class distinctions involved here as boys wearing pantalettes appear to have been mostly boys from well to do, affluent families--often boys being schooled at home by tutors. After mid-century the convention od boys beginning their preparatory bparding school at about 8 years of age became increasingly set and thus it became rare to see boys aboue that age wearing dresses or pantalettes.

Photographic Record

There are many available photographic images showing Enhlish children wearing pantalettes. Unfortunately our task issomewhat complicated by the fact that many images are unidentified. Thus wecare not sure if the child is a boy or girl.

Individual Boys

We do have several identified images of English boysearing pantalettes which can assisst us in assessing the unidentified images.

Inglis Synnot (1840s)

This 1848 painting shows an 11-year old English boy still wearing dresses and lacey pantelettes to modestly cover his leg below the knee. Note his younger sister is not wearing pantalettes. How indicative of English styles this painting is, HBC can not yet say.

Hallam Tennyson (1860s)

This British boy at mid-century shows the lacey pantalettes worn with his tunic jacket. The boy is Hallam Tennyson, son of Alfred, Lord Tennyson the famous English poet. I think he was a comtempory of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The photo was taken by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) who of course was the author of "Alice and Wonderland".

Created: December 22, 2002
Last updated: 11:03 PM 6/5/2008