* United States boys clothes: suits components








United States Boys' Clothes: Suit Components--Accompanying Clothes


Figure 1.--This unidentified boy, probably of German ancestry, wears a cut-away jacket with a bright plaid button-on shirt waist. Notice the white rounded cllar and matching wrist cuffs. The shirt waist was not a part of the suit, but one of many accompanying garments. We see boys in the 1840s and 50s wearing these shirt waists, usually without a suit jacket. The wide jacket sleeves were popular a mid-century. We begin to see more suits in the 1860s, but not worn with these coloful shirt waists. This fits in with the dating of this portrait. It is an ambrotype, probanly taken about 1855-60.

A range of clothing was worn with suits, but purchased separately and not an actual a component of the suit itself. Those items ranged from headwear to footwear, top to bottom. These item have changed over time in line with varying fashion convenience and style. There were not only changes in the various garments, but also the style, detailing and color of the different garments. Headwear was almost requied with suits in the 19th and even early-20th century. Most headwear was purchased separately and usually did not match the suit, especially in the 19th century. By this we mean the fabric and color. We see some matching headwear, usually caps, in the 19th century, but for the most part headwear was purchased separately. We note a wide range of blouses, shirt waist, and shirts as well as detachable and pin-on collar. Of all the various associated items, neckwear seems to have varied the most. We see items from huge floppy bows to small ribbon or string ties as well as no neckwear at all. The neckwear usually did not match the suit, but instead was chosen to add a little color to the outfit. Vests or waistcoats were very common in the 19th century and still worn in the early-20th century to a declining degree. We note both contrasting vests, includung brightly patterened ones, as well as matching vests, the more common type by the 1860s. Vests were normally part of the suit. We are so sure about the contrasting vests, but the matching vests certainly were. The pants were of course normally part of the suit. This is somewhat complicated by the fact that before the 1860s, we normally see boys wearing outfits that did not hsve matching jackts and pants. We are not sure if the pants in such outfits should be considered part of a suit. Hosiery alo varied although here our information is limited to that worn with shortrened-length pants. Of course only with such pants was the hosiery vissible and thus an important part of the outfit. Here mothers varied, some hosiery was chosen with the suit in mind and in other cases the boy just wore what was handy. Footwear also varied. Boys wore the standard footwear of the day in the 19th cntury, mostly high-top shoes in the secondf-half of the 19th century. Footwear was more varied in the 20h century. We see some boys barefoot in formal studio portrits with suits aftr the turn-of-the 20th century, something you did not see in the 20th century. And then you begin to see casual foot wear for the first time, styles not generally worn with suits.

Headwear

Headwear was almost requied with suits in the 19th and even early-20th century. Most headwear was purchased separately and usually did not match the suit, especially in the 19th century. By this we mean the fabric and color. We see some matching headwear, usually caps, in the 19th century, but for the most part headwear was purchased separately.

Shirts and Collars

We note boys wearing a wide range of blouses, shirt waist, and shirts as well as detachable and pin-on collar. Boys normally wore closed collars. We see collars of a wide variety of sizes and shpes wih suits. Often all we see is the collr because boys commonly wre bests which cobered up th entir shirt exceot for the collr. Boys in the early-19th century might wear suits with open, albeit fancy cillars. We do not see that again until the 1910s. We then see boys wearing sports collars, called Schiller collars in Germany, in the 1910s. We continue to see sports collars with suits into the 1930s. A good example is an unidentified boy in a family portrait during 1937. We also see boys with open collars, usually with sports jackets in the 1940s. Closed collars with ties wwre much more common. One very popular collar style was the Eton collar which we see in the late-19th and early-20 century. Eton collars were nor common in Britain, but wide won in America. After World War I, the Eton collar declined in popularity, but dud not disappear. And we see younger boysearing Eton-styled collars and Peter Pan collsrs with juvenile Eton suits. Collars varied widly after World War II. The buttin-diwn collar became popular. And large pinted collars were also populr for ahile.

Neckwear

Of all the various associated items, neckwear seems to have varied the most. And unlike siome other accomoanying garments os almost always vussible in photigraphs. We see neclwwar items from huge floppy bows to small ribbon or string ties as well as no neck wear at all. The neckwear usually did not match the suit, but instead was chosen to add a little color to the outfit.

Vests

Vests or waistcoats were very common in the 19th century and still worn in the early-20th century to a declining degree. We note both contrasting vests, includung brightly patterened ones, as well as matching vests, the more common type by the 1860s. Vests were normally part of the suit. We are so sure about the contrasting vests, but the matching vests certainly were.

Pants and Trousers

The topic of pants and trousers as garments accompaying a suit is alittle complicatd. The pants were of course normally part of the suit. This is somewhat complicated by the fact that before the 1860s, we normally see boys wearing outfits that did not have matching jackts and pants. We are not sure if the pants in such outfits should be considered part of a suit. And in te 1840s we begin to see sports jackets worn with slacks. Another complication was the blazer. A blue blazer worn with grey pants was atandard for boys and o=nly slightly less formal than a suit.

Hosiery

Hosiery also varied although here our information is limited to that worn with shortrened-length pants. And this varied over time. Of course only with such pants was the hosiery vissible and thus an important part of the outfit. Here mothers varied, some hosiery was chosen with the suit in mind and in other cases the boy just wore what was handy. Boys in the 18th century wore scaled down versions of their father's clothing. This would mean knee breeches and stockings. Boys unless from an affluent family probably went barefoot through much of the summer. When dressing up in a suit, if they had a suit, they probanly wore shoes and stockings. This changed in the early-19th century as boys began wearing long panys, including skeleton suits. This we are not entirely sure anout hosiery. It was probably simlar to the 18th century, although the stockings did not have to be so long. Imnges are kimited until after the appearance of photography (1840s). Most of the early photographs show boys wearing mostly long pants so we have little idea about hosiery. With the trendous ecomomic growth and rising prosperity of the United States, more boys began wearing suits in the second half of the century, especially by the 1860s. At mid-century we begin to see younger boys wearing shortened-length pants with or withiut suits. Gradually knee opants became more common and older boys began wearing knee poants so we have a good idea about hosiery. And alomost all American boys wore long stockings. Whire stickings were common in the 1850s and 60s. EWe see stried stoclings in the 70s. Blacl long stovkings became standad in the 80s and this continued into the early-20th century. Biys mostly wore knee pants and black long stockings were by far the most common, although there were other colors. Many boys went barefoot, but when wearing shoes most commonly wore black long stockings. Boys generally switched to knickers (1910s). There were also three-quarter socks but they were not generally worn with suuts. At first they wore blacl long stockings with knickers, but we see patterned knee socks (1920s). They were also worn with short pants suits. We see a mix of hosiery (1930s). Long stockings becane much less ciommion and anklele siocks by the end of the decade behgan to reolace knee socks. This trend continued, but long pants were becomingh invreasingly common (1940s). And this general pattern comtinyed (1950s). We notice the Stewart boys weating ankle socks with short pants Eton suits (1951). .

Footwear

Footwear also varied. Boys wore the standard footwear of the day in the 19th cntury, mostly high-top shoes in the seconf-half of the 19th century. Footwear was more varied in the 20h century. We see some boys barefoot in formal studio portrits with suits aftr the turn-of-the 20th century, something you did not see in the 20th century. And then you begin to see casual foot wear for the first time, styles not generally worn with suits.

Gloves

Gloves are today though of as winterwear. In the 19th century they were much more commonly worn and not restricted to jut winterwear. This continued into the very early0th century. . They tended to be worn much more frequently than is the case today. Gloves were considered an essential part of formal wear. And often worn whn going out. We are less sure to what extent boys wore them. They do not appear commonly in the photgraphic record. And if they were commnly worn you might expect this. And even for formal occassions we do not think they were very common. Studio portraits mostly showed children dressed up, but rarely do we see gloves. We think girls wore gloves more than boys, but even so they are not common in the photographic record. And we believe if they were common for children they would show up to some extent in the phogograpic record. We do see a few boy wearng gloves, but not very many. And the few we do see are mostly teenagers.







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Created: 2:21 AM 3/15/2014
Last updated: 9:11 PM 6/20/2020