Figure 1.--This unidentified boy wears a button-jacket, but cut-away at the bottom. Notice that there is pnly one button. This CDV portrait was taken at the Urlin studio in Columbus Ohio. The portrait is undated, but we know it was taken after 1873 when the studio was founded. We suspect the mid-1870s in part because of the plain background and white stockings. We would guess that this boy was just breeched and mother brought his new suit in a large size so he would grow into it.

American boys continued to wear cut-away jacket in the 1870s. We continue to see cut-away jackets still popular in the 1870s, especially the early-70s. A good example is an unidentified Salem boy. Another good example showing the populsrity for younger boys is the Van Husen boys in 1870. Gradually the cut-away jacket style became less dominant, even for younger boys. There were not as many as in the 1860s. By the late-70s the cut-away jacket no longer seems to have been a major style. And styles also changed. The cut away jackets in the 60s were desiigned not to button up. Commonly there was a tab at the collar to connect the two sides, but except for this connection they were worn open. We begin to see jackets in the 1870s which buttoned, but still had cut-away jacket. Some only had one button, lke the unidentified Ohio boy here (figure 1). But even with one button they could be worn cloded. Gradually the cut-sawy styling became less pronounced. The cut-away jacket in the 1860s was a style for younger boys. Older boys wore jackets that buttoned. In the 1870s we see even younger boys wearing the buttoning jackets rather than cut-away jackets.

Created: 5:16 AM 9/8/2008
Last updated: 6:03 AM 10/30/2011