Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows two brothers. The younger boys wears a dress and looks to be about 4 years old. His big brother wears a Norfolk knee pants suit. He looks to be about 7 years old. The age difference is wide enouugh that we can not tell just when the boys were breeched, but was probably aboyt 5 years of age. . The studio was Evans in Binghamton, New York. The clothes and mount style look like the 1890s.

The ages at which boys wore skirted garments has varied over time. We commonly see pre-school age boys wearing dresses during the 19th century. The age of breaching varied, but was usually 3-5 years during the 19th century. Here family conventions varied. Social class was a major factor affecting the age of breaching, but probably not as important as the age of cutting a boy's curls. The type of skirted garment was also a factor. Even though boys, especially older boys, were wearing dresses and kilts less after the turn-of-the 20th-century, we still see even younger school-age boys wearing tunics. We have found vey little written work on age trends for skirted garments. We suspect that it was a topic discussed by family members, but unfortunately not often recorded in writing. Nor have we found much discussion of this in 19th-century women's magazines. We suspect that the issue was discussed, but have not yet found the articles. We have found much important information in the photographic record. Even when the ages of the children is not noted, it is possible to estimate ages fairly effectively. And portraits of all the children are very useful in assessing family conventions. A good example is the Allen children in 1890, suggesting that breeching proibably occurred at about age 4 or 5 years.

1 Year Olds

2 Year Olds

3 Year Olds

We commonly see pre-school age boys wearing dresses during the 19th century. The age of breaching varied, but was usually 3-5 years during the 19th century. Here family conventions varied. Social class was a major factor affecting the age of breaching, but probably not as important as the age of cutting a boy's curls. The type of skirted garment was also a factor.

4 Year Olds

The 4 year old here about 1890 wears a dress that looks ratger like a ilt suit (figure 1).

5 Year Olds

Most boys were breeched by age 5 years, but in the 19th century until the end if the century we continue to see may boys that were not breeched. We suspect they alo wore blouses and skirts, but that is less apparent from the photographic record. Tunics were another popular skirted garment and unlike dresses, a garment that boys continued to wear when they began school, especially in the early-19th century. We note then wearing dresses and by the 1870s we notie kilt suits. With the appearance oif kilt suits there were fewer boys wearing dresses,especially 4 and 5v year olds. Boys after age 5 years, began school. This became the standard convention by the 1870s. Before this the 5-6 year old age shift was not as importanht in determining boys' fashions. Thus 5 years became the last age that 19th century mothers mothers had virtual total control over the children and how they were dressed. Boys that were not breeched by age 5 year, we motly breeched when they turned 6 years. During the 1890s we begin ti see fewet boys including 5 year olds wearing dresses. We are not etirely sure whu., The popularity of the kilt suit and Fauntkeroy suit wee probanle factors. We do see tunic suits beconing very popular at the turn-of-the 20th century. Many 5 year olds wore them. We can tell that 5age 5 years was the last year that skirted garments were very important for American boys. Not only do we see far fewer imnages of 6 year olds, but we rarely see the skirted garmnts in the school photographs we have archived.

6 Year Olds

Even though boys, especially older boys, were wearing dresses and kilts less after the turn-of-the 20th-century, we still see even younger school-age boys wearing tunics. We have found vey little written work on age trends for skirted garments.

Sources of Information

Our primary source of information in building HBC is the photographic record. While we can tell a great deal from the photographs. We have found much important information in the photographic record. Even when the ages of the children is not noted, it is possible to estimate ages fairly effectively. And portraits of all the children are very useful in assessing family conventions. A good example is the Allen children in 1890, suggesting that breeching proibably occurred at about age 4 or 5 years. There is much that the photographs can not reveal. We suspect that it was a topic discussed by family members, but unfortunately not often recorded in writing. Nor have we found much discussion of this in 19th-century women's magazines. We suspect that the issue was discussed, but have not yet found the articles.

Created: 3:38 AM 8/5/2011
Last updated: 1:26 AM 6/15/2012