Figure 1.--Here we see a portrait of cousins rather than a brother and sister. They are named, but we can't read the writing., perhaps "Mary and Willie Brom???". (Click on the image to see the writing.) The children are the same height, but the boy looks a bit younger. We would giess that they are about 6-8 years old. The girl wears a fancy white dress with all kinds of ruffles all over the place and some kind of trailing fabric. Her cousin wears a velvet cut away vested jacket suit. We note buttons, studs, and piping being used to decorate it. Notice his military-styled peaked cap. The pants are very long and full-cut bloomer knickers. He has low cut shoes, much more common in Britain than America. Both children have long stockings. The boy has light-colored stockings, his cousin has white stockings. The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1860s to us. The studio was A. L Henderson in London (New Cross--London Bridge).

The most important types of decoration we see on cut-away jackets were embroidery, frogging, buttons, and piping. Primarily we notice embroidery. We note other jackets that were decorated with embroidery, but it was the cut-away jackets that were most heavily decorated. And often that same embroidered decoration night be continued on the trousers, although this only doe on some of the suits. The designs employed could be quite simple or highly florid and many variations in between. We think that the embroidery here was hand sewn, but perhaps readers with more knowledgeable about embroidery than we do. We believe that a store kept patterns and the patron picked from the various patterns and also decided the extent of the embroidery or if she wanted in repeated on the vest (waistcoat) and pants. Ready made suits may have been more common by the 1870s. We are not sure as to the colors used for the embroidery. We note these fancy patterns on both light and dark suits, but it is the embroidery on the light suits that is more visible. This is because dark thread was for some reason commonly used for the embroidery on dark suits. We also notice this embroidery in other countries, but fancy patterns seem more popular in England than America. We also see buttons and frogging being used on some suits, but not nearly as commonly as embroidery. Buttons of course had utilitarian functions as closing devices. But we see them also being used for decoration. Here we are normally talking about white buttons on dark suits. The use of frogging was a boyish appropriation of a military style. We also see some piping.

Background

The most important types of decoration we see on cut-away jackets were embroidery, frogging, buttons, and piping. Primarily we notice embroidery. We note other jackets that were decorated with embroidery, but it was the cut-away jackets that were most heavily decorated.

Embroidery

Embroidery was the most notable decoration on suits. And often that same embroidered decoration night be continued on the trousers, although this only done on some of the suits. The designs employed could be quite simple or highly florid and many variations in between. We think that the embroidery here was hand sewn, but perhaps readers with more knowledgeable about embroidery than we do. We believe that a store kept patterns and the patron picked from the various patterns and also decided the extent of the embroidery or if she wanted in repeated on the vest (waistcoat) and pants. Ready made suits may have been more common by the 1870s. We are not sure as to the colors used for the embroidery. We note these fancy patterns on both light and dark suits, but it is the embroidery on the light suits that is more visible. This is because dark thread was for some reason commonly used for the embroidery on dark suits. We also notice this embroidery in other countries, but fancy patterns seem more popular in England than America.

Buttons

We also see buttons being used on some cut-away jacket suits. This was a continuation of skeleton suits. These suits were not highly decorated, but buttons. Usually white buttons were used as a decorative element on skeleton suits. We see buttons being used as both decorative and utilitarian devices on cut-away jackets. The utilitarian function of buttons was not very important because the two sides of the jacket were not buttoned together, except at the very top. But they were employed ion the vest as we see here (figure 1). And vests were very common in the 1870s when these decorated suits were most prevalent. Thus buttons were fairly common on the vested suits, but in the 1870s not as striking as the embroidery we see. Buttons of course had utilitarian functions as closing devices. But we see them also being used for decoration. Here we are normally talking about white buttons on dark suits. This boy's buttons on the vest here are a good example.

Studs

We noted studs used rather like decorative buttons. The boy's jacket here is a good example. They are used rather kike piping to decorate edges such as the pocket seen here (figure 1). This was not very common, but we do see examples.

Frogging

The use of frogging was a boyish appropriation of a military style. It was an especially elaborate type of decoration.

Patches

Sometimes worked in to the embroidery were patches done in a variety of shapes. Some look rather like leaf patterns. Patches were most commonly used ion the pants. Most of the decoration on cut-away jacket suits was usually done on the jacket. Patches were an exception While they were one of the least used decorations, when used we usually see them on the pants. We are not sure about the fabrics used. In some cases they seem to be velvet. We are not sure about the utility of the patches. We think that they were primarily decorative, but there may be utility. This is something that is very difficult to assess from just the studio photographic record. And during the 1870s when we see most of these highly decorative suits, almost all the photographic record consists of studio record.

Piping

We also see some piping which was probably the most common decoration used on these suits. Many of these suits outside of the 1870s were very plain, but even on the very plain suits, we commonly see piping. We see modest piping on the boy;s suit here, both on the jacket band vest (figure 1). And piping continued to be used as decorative trim beyond the 70s. This was especially the case of school blazers into the 20th century.

Created: 4:43 AM 6/20/2022
Last updated: 4:43 AM 6/20/2022