Figure 1.-- Here we see a cabinet card portrait with three unidentified children from Willmar, Minnesota. They look to be about 3-12 years old. It was probbly taken in he late-1890s. The younger boy in the double-breastred suit looks to be about 7 years old. The studio was Wold and Baklund.

Double-breasted suits were worn by a wide age range of boys. Some younger boys wore double breasted kilt suits. For the most part, however we see boys beginning to wear these double-breasted jackets when they begin school at about 6 years of age, but double breasted jackets seem most common a couple years after boys begin school at about 8 years of age. And are common into the teen years. On the previous page we see boys 8-11 years of age in the 1890s wearing double-breasted suit jackets. Here we see the older brother wearing a double-breasted, knee pants suit with an Eton-like collar and floppy bow (figure 1). He looks to be about 7 years old. We see both school age boys and teenagers wearing these suits. Mothers in the late-19th century tended to add fancy Fauntleroy collars and bows to to younger boys wearing them. At first we see boys wearing long pants, but by the 1870s we see younger boys wearing knee pants. Younger boys mighrt wear kneep pants. Older boys wore long pants, but at the turn-of the 20th century we see many teeagers wearing knee pants. This varied from family to family.

5 Year Olds

Some younger boys wore double breasted kilt suits. We see both school age boys and teenagers wearing these suits. Mothers in the late-19th century tended to add fancy Fauntleroy collars and bows to to younger boys wearing them, especially the younger boys.

6 Years Olds

For the most part, however we see boys beginning to wear these double-breasted jackets when they begin school at about 6 years of age.

7 Year Olds

Here we see the older brother wearing a double-breasted, knee pants suit with an Eton-like collar and floppy bow, prinabky in the 1890s (figure 1). He looks to be about 7 years old. His younger brother wears axFauntlrroy suit.

8 Year Olds

Double breasted jackets seem most common a couple years after boys begin school at about 8 years of age.

10 Year Olds

Here we see two siblings, we think in the early 1900s decade, largely because of the dark grey-green color of the mount. The girl looks to be about 8 years old and the boy about 10-years old. The children are unidentified, but we know they are from McKeesport, Pennsylvania. The portrait is a CDV, not very common at the time in America, most studio portraits were cabinet cards. The CDV at the time was more common in Europe, but a few studios were still producing them.

11 Year Olds

On the previous page we see boys 8-11 years of age in the 1890s wearing double-breasted suit jackets.

13 Year Olds

Double-breasted suits were common innto the teen years. At first we see boys wearing long pants, but by the 1870s we see younger boys wearing knee pants. Younger boys mighrt wear kneep pants. Older boys wore long pants, but at the turn-of the 20th century we see many teeagers wearing knee pants. This varied from family to family.

Created: 10:40 PM 5/3/2015
Last updated: 9:16 PM 9/22/2022