Figure 1.--This early CDV shows an unidentufied boy wearing his cut-away jacket suit without a vest. We know the portrait was taken around 1865, because there was a revenue stamp on the back. He is holding a hat, although it is difficult to determine just what kind of hat. The studio was E.D. Ott, Sunbeam Depot, Princeton, Illinois.

We continue to commonly see vests /waistcoats in the 1860s. And the photographic record becomes a more valid indicator of popular fashion styles in the 1860s with the advent of albumen photography, meaning the CDV and cabinet card. This significantly brought down the cost of photograohy, meaning that it widened the market bse to lower ncome customers. Albumen photography enabled multipile prints to be made from a photograph. This made possible sending copies to family and friends at limted costs, not to mention that CDVs and cabinet cards could be sent through the mail. We see boys wearing suits with and without vests. Many boys wore suits without vests in the 1860s, but we see quite a few vests as well. Most of our information is studio photography, not actual everyday images. As mothers dressed up boys for the portraits, we suspect that the available imagery probbly over emphasizes the vests. Boys probably did not wer them as coomonly when not dressing up. But all we have to go on is the studio photography. They were, however, marked changes. We no longer see the loud, colorful vessts that were popular in the 40s abd 50s. The vests were mostly matching vests. The contrasting vests seen in the 1850s declined sharply in popularity. From the beginning of the decade, it became common for the vest to match the suit. This suggests that the change began in the late-1850s. This occurred at the same time that suits with matching jackets and trousers appeared. Thus the matching jacket and vest with the pants is a hallmark of the 1860s. We are not sure which was more common. The photographic record shows that both options were very common. We note vests being worn with different types of jackets. This somewhat affected the style of vest. Cutaway jackets were usually worn with plain vests. Lapel jackets were often worn with lapel vests. We do not see boys wearing just the vests. The only images we have found to date show boys wearing vests with jackets. We have not yet established any age conventions. Many vests had small lapels, rather like minature sleeveless suit jackets.

Photograhpic Developments

And the photographic record becomes a more valid indicator of popular fashion styles in the 1860s with the advent of albumen photography, meaning the CDV and cabinet card. This significantly brought down the cost of photograohy, meaning that it widened the market bse to lower ncome customers. Albumen photography enabled multipile prints to be made from a photograph. This made possible sending copies to family and friends at limted costs, not to mention that CDVs and cabinet cards could be sent through the mail.

Prevlence

We continue to commonly see Ameicn boys wearing vests /waistcoats in the 1860s.

Choice

We see boys wearing suits with and without vests. Many boys wore suits without vests in the 1860s, but we see quite a few vests as well. Most of our information is studio photography, not actual everyday images. As mothers dressed up boys for the portraits, we suspect that the available imagery probbly over emphasizes the vests. Boys probably did not wer them as coomonly when not dressing up. But all we have to go on is the studio photography. We do not see boys wearing just the vests. The only images we have found to date show boys wearing vests with jackets. Unforttunately we ae not sure about trends outside the studio where most plhotographs were taken.

Changes

We see that there were marked changes in vests by the 1860s. We still see large numbers of boys wearing them, but the vests were changing. We no longer see the loud, colorful vests that were popular in the 40s and 50s. The vests wecsee in the 1860s, however, were mostly matching vests--meaning the vests were done in the same color and material as the jackets and pants. The contrasting vests seen in the 1840s and 50s declined sharply in popularity by the 60s. From the beginning of the decade, it became common for the vest to match the suit a comvention ythat became permnenbt. This suggests that the change began in the late-1850s. This occurred at the same time that suits with matching jackets and trousers appeared. Thus the matching jacket and vest with the pants is a hallmark of the 1860s. We are not sure which was more common. The photographic record shows that both options were very common.

Accompanying Clothing

We see vests being worn along with various styles of suit jackets and pants. We note vests being worn with different types of jackets. This somewhat affected the style of vest. Cutaway jackets were usually worn with plain vests. Lapel jackets were often worn with lapel vests. Most boys wore long pants in the 1860s. We see some younger boys wearing shortened-length pants, primarily in the fashionble big cities. Long pants were, however, more common. The Lincoln boys, for example, had a notoriously very fashion concious mother, but came from a rther small Illinois town.

Ages

We have not yet established any age conventions.

Constructions

Many vests in the 1860s had lapels which could be substantial. They were rather like minature sleeveless suit jackets.

Created: 12:30 AM 2/14/2008
Last updated: 12:30 AM 2/14/2008