Figure 1.-- This cabinet card shows an unidentified boy wearing a double-breasted suit. It is undated, but the whicker furniture helps to date it to the early-20th century. The studio was B. J. Griswold in Cherry Creek, New York. Notice the relatively large, high-set lapels aand the two flap pockets. We see this configuration on many suits at the time.

The double-breasted suit was one of the two principal types of sack suits. A standard or sack suits came in two basic types: single- and double-breased jackets. We note a wide range of stylistic variations on these suits. The variations included the lapels, pockets, buttons, and other features of the jackets. The laspoels varies in size and placement. The number and placement of pockerts varied. We also see both slash and flap pockets. The number of buttons varied as did the conventioins for buttoning. While the basic style remained, these different elements varied chronologically as fashions changed. The stylistic details have varied over time and can be hrlpful in dating the portraits.

Created: 4:13 AM 4/5/2010
Last updated: 4:13 AM 4/5/2010