Figure 1.--This CDV portarit shows an unidentified brother and sister, probably in the 1870s. While girls usually had the fancier outfits, notice the elaborate embroidery on this boy's velvet suit, both the jacket and knee pants, as well as piping. The studio was Spanton in Bury St Edmunds. The children look to be about 5-7 years of age.

The standard suit garments were jackets and trousers. Many suits also had vests (waistcoats). The decoration of all three of these garments varied. The decoration was most pronounced on the jackets. But not infrequently we also see the trousers decorated as well, but not as profusely. The decoration on trousers, if any, was made to match the jacket. You can see that clearly in the example on the previous page as well as the boy here (figure 1). We have noted vertical strips on the trousers as well as decorated hems, mostly for younger boys. Most of the highly decorated jackets we have found were either cut-away and collar-buttoning jakets. Sack suit lapel jackets were much less likely to be decorated. We see various types of trousers, including long pants, knee pants, short pants and knickers which varies in popularity over time. The decorated trousers were mostly knee pants and knickers for younger boys in rge second half of the 19th century. The piping was most common on blazers, especially school blazers. And unlike the other decoration this continued into the 20th century. Almost always the decorative elements were on the jacket, but in the second half of the 19th century we have noted jacket styling repeated on the trousers. This sems to have been especially common in the 1870s, but we note examples in he 1860s and 80s as well. We do not see these decorations on vests, presumably because the vest was normally covered up by the jacket.

Jackets

Boys' jackets were normally plain garments. This began when the first dedicated boy's garment, the skeleton suit, was first intoduced. Some were done in luxurious materials, but they were normally plain and not highly decorated in the early-19th century. This was the general pattern in both the 19th and 20th centuries when boys more commnly wore suits than is the case today. While most suit jackets were plain, for a short period in the lare-19th centiry, we see some highly decorated suits. The suit decoration was always most pronounced on the jackets. The jacket was the most important suit garment. The name of the suit was normally derived from the style of the jacket such as Eton, Norfolk, cut-away, Fauntleroy, sailor and other suit styles. We have noted very highly decorated suits. during the late 19th century, especially the 1870s and to a lesser degree the 1860s and 80s. We note heavy embrodery, frogging, striping, piping, and other decorations. Most of the highly decorated jackets we have found besides sailor suits were either cut-away and collar-buttoning jackets. Sack suit lapel jackets were much less likely to be decorated. The piping was the primary decoration that carried on beyond the late-19th century was most common on blazers, especially school blazers. And unlike the other decoration this continued into the 20th century.

Vests

Vests or waist coats in British English were especially popular in the 19th century. Americans understand waistcoast, but for some strange reason, vest in Britain mean and undershirt. We do not see decorations as commonly on the on the vests as the jackets. We do see some bests with piping. This is a little fifficult to follow because the vest was normally mostly covered up by the jacket. The 20th century dashion of just wearing a vest was vurtually unknown in the 19th century, at least this is suggested by the photographic record.

Trousers

For a time in he late-19th century we also see the trousers decorated as well, but not as profusely as the jacket. The decoration on trousers, if any, was made to match the jacket. You can see that clearly in the example on the previous page as well as the boy here (figure 1). We have noted vertical strips on the trousers as well as decorated hems, mostly for younger boys. We see various types of trousers, including long pants, knee pants, short pants and knickers which varies in popularity over time. The decorated trousers were mostly knee pants and knickers for younger boys in the second half of the 19th century. We notice some decorationnof adult troysers, but it was much more limited, the only common decorative decice fir men's trousers was a vertical stripe on the outer leg. Almost always the decorative elements for both boys and men were on the jacket, but in the second half of the 19th century we have noted jacket styling repeated on boys' trousers. This sems to have been especially common in the 1870s, but we note examples in he 1860s and 80s as well when the decoration of the jackets was especially popular.

Created: 5:59 AM 5/17/2016
Last updated: 5:59 AM 5/17/2016