*** Canadian boys suits: chronology








Canadian Boys' Clothes: Suit Chronology

Canadian suits
Figure 1.--This Canadian boy wears what looks like a home-made jacket with a checked shirt and small white collar. It is unclear if this is a cut-away jacket or just worn like one. This tin-type portrait is undated, butlooks to have been taken in the 1870s. It was taken at the J.B. Davidson Photograph Salon, probably in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. A brother seems to have been photographed in an identical suit at the same time. Click on the image to see him.

We have no information on Canadian suits until the 19th century, HBC has some limited information on Canadian boys' suits in the 19th century. We believe that Canadian boys wore English style suits in the 19th century. We are less sure about American influences. This may have varied regionally. We note cut-away jackets in the mid-19th century. And much fabcier suits in the late-19th century, including Fauntleroy suits. Eron suits were popular in the late 19th century for school-age boys. Many boys wore knee pants suits. Our archive of 19th century images, however, is very limited. More information is available on the 20th century. Available images show boys wearing Norfolk knicker suits in the early 20th century. We notice both single- and double-breasted suits in the 20th century. We notice knee pants, knickers, short pants, amd long pants suits during the first half of the century. After World war I (1914-18), boys began wearing short pants suits with single and double breasted styling. Older boys through the 1930s commonly wore knicker suits. Some boys in the 1950s still wore knicker suits, but by the 1960s there seems to have been little difference between Canadian and American suits.

The 18th Centuiry

Canada or New France was founded as a French colony (17th century). It became valuable in the highly lucrative fur trade. Relatively small numbers of Frencgh settlers arrived. And unlike the English, the French Royal Government prevented religious fiidentys (namely the Hugenoughts) from settling in New France. Thus the French with a smaller North American population and weaker navy were at a dusadvantage when the showdown with the English arrived as to who would dominate North America--the French and Indian War (1754-63). France lost Canada and the French population centered largely in Quebec became cut off from France. Clothing style became largely English and to an extent Scottish as Canada developed as a British colony.

The 19th Century

We have no information on Canadian suits until the 19th century HBC has some limited information on Canadian boys' suits in the 19th century, although very little on the early-19th century. We believe that Canadian boys wore English style suits in the 19th century. We are less sure about American influences. This may have varied regionally. Unlike America, we see realtively few Dags and Ambros (1840s-50s). We note cut-away jackets in the mid-19th century. Only with the advent of CDVs (1860s) do we begin to see any substantial numbers of images on which we can base a photographic record. Two brothers here had matching home-made jackets (figure 1). Jackets often buttoned at the collar with only a small white shirt collar showing. We note both single- and double-breasted jackets. Through the 1870s we mostly see long pants suits. And much fancier suits with shortened-length pants for the younger boys in the late-19th century, including Fauntleroy suits. Eton suits were popular in the late-19th century for school-age boys. Many boys wore knee pants suits by the 1890s. We also see knickers suits which were more poopular in England than America. Our archive on which we can develop 19th century trends, however, is still very limited.

The 20th Century

More of our information on Canada is from the 20th century. Available images show boys wearing a variety of suits with both knee pants and knickers in the 20th century. We notice single- and double-breasted, collar-buttoning, and Norfolk jackets in the early-20th century. After World War I we also notice short pant suits. Collar-bittoning jackets gradually webt out of style. We notice both American and English ingluences in Canada. Knicker suits were more common than in England and short pants suits more commn than in America. We notice knee pants, knickers, short pants, amd long pants suits during the first half of the century. Knee pants were common at the beginning of the century. After World War I (1914-18), boys commonly wore knicker suits as was the case in America. We also see began wearing short pants suits with single and double breasted styling. This was less common than knickers. We are not sure about the social-class connotations. Or abour the English/French language communities. Older boys through the 1930s commonly wore knicker suits. Some boys in the 1950s still wore knicker suits which we no longer see to any extent in America. By the 1960s there seems to have been little difference between Canadian and American suits. Boys as in America began to commonly wear long pants suits. Canada was affected bythe same trends oward casual clothing whixh affected both america and england. As a result, suits were much less common in Canada by the 1970s. Boys increasingly were dressed in casual styles.








HBC







Visit HBC Canadian Pages:
[Return to the Main Canadian suit page]
[Canadian choirs] [Canadian Scouts] [Canadian long stockings] [Canadian First Communions]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main country page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 1:29 AM 3/10/2007
Last updated: 8:42 AM 10/2/2016