Figure 1.--This boy in this CDV was named Charlie, but we do not have his last name. He looks to be about 4-years old. Charlie wears what looks like a skirt suit. The top is a little confusing. it looks to be a jacket and vest, but it may be more of a one pice top. We can't tell from just the photograph. The skiet seems to have box pleats. Other than leating thee is no effort to mak the skirt look like a kilt. The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1860s to us. The studio Mr. Tefler on Reagent Street in London--a prestige location.
Kilt suits were an important style for boys in the 19th century, primarily in the second half of the century. They were not as common for English boys as in America, at least based on prevalence in the photographic record. We get the impression that these skirt/kilt suits were more oriented for the well-to-do than was the case in America. We also notice suits that were basically identical to kilt suits only there was no effort to make the skirt look somewhat like a kilt, with with tartan fabric or an element of kilt construction. Thus we call them skirt suits for the purposes of HBC archiving. These skirt suits were basically the same as kilt suits. Many of the kilts used in kilt suits were not true kilts, but just skirts done in tartan fabric or some semblance of kilt construction. We are not sure what mothers may have called these outfits. They may called them kilt suits, we are just not sure. We have never found references to skirt suits. We notice diferent terms being used in English catalogs. We note had thought that the appearance of these suits with sembance to kilts in America was because American mothers probably did not undestand what a kilt was. English mothers might be expected to have somewhat of an idea whatb a kilt was. Interestingy which there vare a lot of examples of Englisg boys wearing dresses. There are relatively few example of English boys wearing skirts. We do not yet have enough images to assess the jacket or other tops worn with them to make an asessment. The boy here seems to be wearing a blouse rather than a jacket as part of his skirt suit (figure 1). Nor are we yet able to assess the ages of the boys wearing skirt suits.
Chronology
Kilt suits were an important style for boys in the 19th century, primarily in the second half of the century. The chronological trends are similar to kilt sits, but with skirt suits disappearing a little bfore kilt suits.
Prevalence
These skirt suits were not as common for English boys as in America, at least based on prevalence in the photographic record. Interestingy which there vare a lot of examples of English boys wearing dresses. There are relatively few example of English boys wearing skirts.
Social Class
We get the impression that these skirt/kilt suits were more oriented for the well-to-do than was the case in America.
Trminology
We also notice suits that were basically identical to kilt suits only there was no effort to make the skirt look somewhat like a kilt, with with tartan fabric or an element of kilt construction. Thus we call skirt suits for the purposes of HBC archiving. We are not sure what mothers may have called these outfits. They may called them kilt suits, we are just not sure.
We are just beginning to assess the garments worn as part of skirt suits. We do not yet have enough images to assess these garment trends. We are not sure about the tops. Jakets were commonly worn with kilt suits, but we see blousesv as cell. We are not yet sure ablot skirt suits. We just do not have the needed images to make an asessment. The boy here seems to be wearing a blouse rather than a jacket as part of his skirt suit (figure 1). We are not sure if skirt suits were done with vests which were common with kilt suits. We see many kilt suits done with vests. They were not required as part of kilt suits, but were very commion. We are not yet sure about skirt suits and vests. This is going require more images to make any serious assessment. .
The Skirts
These skirt suits were basically the same as kilt suits. Many of the kilts used in kilt suits were not true kilts, but just skirts done in tartan fabric or some semblance of kilt construction.
Catalogs
We have never found references to skirt suits. We notice diferent terms being used in English catalogs.
Familiarity with kilts
We note had thought that the appearance of these suits with sembance to kilts in America was because American mothers probably did not undestand what a kilt was. English mothers might be expected to have somewhat of an idea whatb a kilt was.
Ages
Nor are we yet able to assess the ages of the boys wearin skirt suits. Our initial asessment is that the boys wearing these skirt suits tended to be worn primarily bu the yiunger boys sweaing these skiiorted suit outfits, nost boys in the 304 t=year ages cohart. .
