Figure 1.--This CDV photos of an unidentified Americamn boy is undated. The studio setting suggests it was taken in the 1860s, probably the early 60s. No stidio is identified. Notice the rather baggy, checked pants that do not match the jacket.

Cut-away jackets were worn with a variety of different pants or trousers. There was no standard type of pants. We notice long pants and a variety of shortened leg pants, both kneepants and bloomer knickers. The photographic record suggests that long pants were still very common, even for very young boys just breeched. Long pants seem by far the most common, but we also see quite a number of the shortened-leg pants as well. They were most common in the fashionable big cities. Some of the pants, especially those influence by the Zouave style could be quite voulminous. This was common in the 1860s. More trim fitting pants became more popular in the 1870s. Others were more trim fitting. We note boys wearing pants that matched the jackets and some that didn't match. Pants that did match jackets were quite common in the 1840s and 1850s and the style was still common at the onset of the 60s. This changed during the decade. We notice most boys in the 60s had maching pants, but there quite a number of boys with pants that didn't match, especially in the early 60s. We notice both plain colored pants and pants with patterns such as checks. The plain pants were by far the most common and by the 1870s boys mostly wore pants that matched their jackets.

Types

Cut-away jackets were worn with a variety of different pants or trousers. There was no standard type of pants. We notice long pants and a variety of shortened leg pants, both kneepants and bloomer knickers. The photographic record suggests that long pants were still very common, even for very young boys just breeched. Long pants seem by far the most common, but we also see quite a number of the shortened-leg pants as well. They were most common in the fashionable big cities. Some of the pants, especially those influence by the Zouave style could be quite voulminous. This was common in the 1860s. More trim fitting pants became popular in the 1870s.

Matching Items

Pants that did match jackets were quite common in the 1840s and 1850s and this convention was still common at the onset of the 60s. Most, but not all boys in the 1850s wore jackets and vests that did not match their pants. Some did, but most did not. We still see that with the cut-away jackets that appeared in the early-60s. The boy on the previous page is a good example. This is seems rather strange. You would think that it bwas only natutral that the jacket, bests, and pants should match, especially as they were often purchased at the same time. In fact thev very idea of a suit is now matching item, a convention that sid not exist in the first half of the 19th century. But for what ever reason, they often did not. There is very obvious from the photographic record. And the relative prevaklrnce in the photographic record is probably a good indicator of actual prevalence. This began to change in the early-1860s. And as is so often the case in fashion histiory, we have no idea why this change took place. And who was resoponsible. Unfirtunately because so few images are dated, it is difficult to follow the developing fashions trends with any precission. We hink the boy here was photographed in the early-60s, but we cannot be positive (figure 1). Not all boys had matching suit items in the early-60s, but it was becoming more common and by the end of the decade it was by far the most common convention. It would be almost universal by the 70s. Here we are not only taslking about the pants, but the vests as well. In fact it was stylish to have vests that contrasted sharply with the jackets. We note boys wearing pants that matched the jackets and some that didn't match. This changed during the decade. We notice most boys in the 60s had maching pants, but there quite a number of boys with pants that didn't match, especially in the early 60s.

Colors and Patterns

We do not know much about the colors of the pants boys wore with cut-awau jackets. As most noys wore matching pants, they would of course be the same color as the jacket. We suspect blue, brown, and grey were the major colors, but the black-and-white photography of the day makes that difficult to confirm. We do note both light and dark colors.We notice both plain colored pants and pants with patterns such as checks. The patterns can be determined, but of course not the colors involved. The plain pants were by far the most common and even in the 1860s boys mostly wore pants that matched their jackets.

Construction

Detailing

Detailing varied. Some of the jackets were heavily embroidered and the embroidery were sometimes followed on to the pants. Other jackets were very plain without decoration and thid twso followed on the pants. We note many pants were done with stripes. The stripes vatied in width and form. They seem to have been more common on the shortenef-length pants, both vloomer knickers and and knee psants. The stripes were a military style and quite a few of these suits were done with a military influence. The most obvious wre the Zouave suits, but other suits had a military touuch even when not done as full Zouave suits. The stripes were the primary way of creating a military style on the cut-away jacket pants and trousers.

Created: 2:36 AM 12/30/2009
Last updated: 10:12 PM 3/2/2023