Figure 1.--We believe the portrait of this unidentified rural family was taken in the 1890, probably the early-1890s. The two younger boys look to be about 2-4 years old which tells us that the boys were probably breeched at age 4-5 years. We are not sure about the third child who may be a girl. Click on the image for more information about the family.

We have much more information on the 19th century, largely because photography became commercially viable in the 1840s. We have only limited informstion about the first four decades, but we have an enormoud amount of information by mid-century. The general pattern seems to be that it was very common for boys to wear dresses through age 3 years. After that an increasing number of boys were breeched, but the sage of breeching varied widely from family to family. By age 6 most boys were breeched, but not all. The age of breeching seems to have declined by the 1890s, but there continued to be substatial differences among families. Thus for the first time we have a great deal of evidence about how boys were dressed. Family portraits provide valuable informnation on breeching conventions. We see boys wearing dresses throughout the 19th century. At the end of the century in the 1890s we see fewer boys wearing dresses and being breeched at an earlier age. especially older boys. Many boys wearing skirted garments wore kilt suits rather than dresses. One notable observation is that is was not just boys from affluet families that wore dresses, but boys in rural families as well. We are not sure yet as to how demographics and social class affected the age of breeching.

The 1800s

It is difficult to say much bout breecing in the early-19th century because we have so few imges before the invention of phtography, meaning the 1800s-30s. What we have are only a few painted portraits which for the most part show mostly well to do families because of the cost of a painted portraits.

The 1840s

We have much more information on the 19th century, largely because photography became commercially viable in the 1840s. We have only limited information about the first four decades, but we have an enormous amount of information by mid-century. PHotography was expensive, meaning there was a class bias to the photographic record. There were far more photogtaphic images than painted images, but still the cost was significant enough that there was still a social class bias. We are mot sure about the age of breeching. We notice, =however quite young boyswho hve been beeched. The age of breeching varied widely from family to family.

The 1850s

We see quite yong boys wearing pants in Daquerotypes, khough we are not lways sure if they come from the 1840s or 50s. Unfortunlky we cn not alwats tell if they were taken in the 1840s or 50s. But they show that mny boys were breeched at a very yong age. We had thought that more boys eore dresses in the early- than the late-19th century. Niwwe are less sure. The enormous economic development of the country may be a a factor here. It is a matter we are working on. Dags were not cheap, but they were only a fraction of the cost of painted portraits. Phoyogrophybinfact demoratized portriture.

The 1860s

We know much more about popular fashion in the1860sthn ever before. The appearance of albumen photography (the CDV) in 1860 affecting costs significantly expanded the market for photogaphy meaning that the photographic record was increasingly rerpresentative of national trends.

The 1870s

The combination of industrial expansion and agriculutral productiviy along with the fall in the cost of photography meant that the photograaphic record was an increasingly valid indicator of popular trnds. Ther was still poor Americans that were underepsentative, but they were an increasingly small sector of the population. Thus we believe that the images we see are an incresingly accurate depiction of fashion and social trnds like breeching. There was no clear definative age at which boys were breeched. There were substantial differences from fanily to family. And we have no idea to what the differnces can be attributed. We see most parents breeching boys at about age 2-4 years. Smaller numbers were breeched at a ge 5 years. As most boys were now attending school, beginning at age 6 years, alnost all boys were breeched by that age. And beginning in the 1870s we begin to see the school portait becoming a new popular phenomenon, creating a useful addition to the photographic record.

The 1880s

The 1880s in many ways was similkar to the 1870s. Thus breeching trends seem similar. The primary cultural trends wer the increasing economic growth meaning expanding prosperity ans an expanding public school system, neither of which significantly affected breeching tends. What seems to have had an impact was the Liitle Lord Fauntleroy raze. Mrs. Burnette's book appeared (1885). The fancy suits Mrs. burnette popularized were mostly done with knee pants, although there werwe dress and kiltbsuits done with Fauntleroy suts. We believed this incentivized some mothers to advance the age of breeching. This seems to have begun affecting breeching trnds by the late-1880s andthis affected the 1890s.

The 1890s

The age of breeching seems to have declined by the 1890s, but there continued to be substatial differences among families. Thus for the first time we have a great deal of evidence about how boys were dressed. Family portraits provide valuable informnation on breeching conventions. We see boys wearing dresses throughout the 19th century. The 1890s family image here is a good example (figure 1). At the end of the century in the 1890s we see fewer boys wearing dresses and being breeched at an earlier age. Portraits of older boys wearing skirdgartments becomin much leass common. Many boys wearing skirted garments wore kilt suits rather than dresses. One notable observation is that is was not just boys from affluet families that wore dresses, but boys in rural families as well. We are not sure yet as to how demographics and social class affected the age of breeching. An example is an unidebtified boy who got his first suit with psnts at the Best & Co. department store during 1896.

Created: 5:27 AM 8/27/2009
Last updated: 10:19 AM 1/13/2020