Figure 1.--This unidentified boy who looks to be about 9-10 years old had his Ambrotype portrait taken in the late-1850s or early-60s. This was an early Civil War era kempi, notice how extebnded the rear is. The boy wears a cut-way jacket and button-on pants. Notice the destinctive sfiock neckwear, more common with adult men and usually black. The jacket has shortened sleeves showing the puffed sleeves of the shirt.

The number of cap styles was still limited in the 1860s. Caps with military styling were very popular. Mexican War-era caps with tassles were popular in the 1840s and 50s. As the country moved toward Civil War and both Federal and Confederate units adopted the French-styled kempi, boys also began wearing them. The kepi, originally a French military style, was worn during the Civil War (1861-65), but never became a major boys' style. It is most associated wiyh the 1860s, but may also have been worn in the late-1850s. We do see, however, quite a few examples of kepis in the photographic record. These and the older military peaked cap style were worn by boys in the 1860s. These are the only two cap styles we have so far identyified during the 1860s to any extebnt. A few boys from fashionable city families may have worn Scottish styles like the Glengary. And with the introduction of the inexpensive and easily reproduceable CDV, for the first time we have an increasingly complete and substantial photographic record of fashion, including children's fashions. While many boys wore caps in the 1860s, overall hats seem more common with boys than caps. Sailor caps and hats were not widely worn, but did appear in the 1870s. Little boys in dresses wore fancy hats of widely varying styles, just like those worn by girls. They did not wear caps.

Created: 7:20 AM 9/29/2013
Last updated: 7:23 AM 9/29/2013