*** United States boys clothes: suits components jackers suit styles sack suits








United States Boys' Clothes: Suit Jackets--Sack Suit Jackets

double-breasted suits
Figure 1.-- These brothers were photography by Seneckel of Knightstown, Indiana, probably about 1920. The low-cut oxfoird shoes re helpin to date the portrait. The boys wear idetical two-piece double-breasted suits. Notice the flap breast pockets. The fabric pattern looks slightly different. The suits are knickers suits which the boys wear with black long stockings.

The sack suit became the standard suit style for both men and boys. The sack suit first appeared in the mid-19th century. It began as a loose fitting single-breasted garment without a waist seam. The lapel was the destinguisjing feature of these suits. They were worn by men and boys. A related style, the collar-buttoning jacket was only worn by boys and seems to have evolved from military tunics. . It was seen at first as a somewhat casual suit or jacket style. It is now so standard that the simple term "suit" is used today to mean sack suit. Older boys' sack suit jackets could be quite plain. Sack suits generally had "V" fronts with lapels, but there were some exceptions. The two basic styles were single- and double-breased suits. There was a wide range of stylistic variatins affecting the lapels, pockets, and other features of the jackets. Both styles were widely worn for many years, but after the 1950s we mostly see boys wearing single-breasted suit jackets. There were some notable variations. One popular style for many years was the Norfolk jacket with destinctive pleats and belts.

Terminology

The sack suit became the standard suit style for both men and boys. It is now so standard that the simple term 'suit' is used today to mean sack suit. The casual reader will commonly be confused by the term 'sack' suit as it was primarily used in the late-19th century as the sack suit was developing. It was a loose-fitting suit tails on the jacket. It was the least formal of the various jacket types worn by adults and grdually becamne the standard style for boys as well. Ir was simple with little aornment whuch it is why it becane known as a sack suit. It became the been the basic suit worn by Western businessman and by boys. Double-bresrted jackets, often worn with vestswere very commom in the late-19th and early-20 century. This mimicked adult patterns.

Chronology

The sack suit first appeared in the mid-19th century. It began as a loose fitting single-breasted garment without a waist seam, but we soon see double-breasted versions as well. These were the two basis styles of the sack suit, but their were countles stylishic versions of these two basic sack suit styles. They were a style worn by school-age boys and adults. The popularity of the single-breasted and double-breasted styles varied over time as well as many other sylistic details, especially the placement and size of the lapels. Double-breasted suits were popular at the turn-of-the-20th century. Single-breasted suits gradually grew increasingly popular as the 20th century unfolded, especially after World War II, but double-breasted suits have never entirely gone out of style. I remember thinking as a boy in the 1950s that double-breasted suits looked rather old fashioned. At the time we mostly saw adukts wearing diuble-breasted suits, but this was not the case earlier in the century. Sinle breasted jackets were standard in the lte-20th century, but we occassionaly saw boys wearing diuble-breasted suits. Suits in general, however, were increasingly less common.

Styling

Older boys' sack suit jackets could be quite plain. The lapel was the destinguising feature of these suits. Sack suits generally had "V" fronts with lapels, but there were some exceptions. These lapels have varied greatly over time, both the pacement and width. We see some 19th century jackets with small lapels set very high. The lapels have since increased in sized and length. We have noted both narrow and wide lapels. While the lapels are the most prominant features, there are other featurs such as shoulders, pockets, both breast and side hip pockets. The pockets diffeeed in size, placement, and detailing. The length of the jackets also varied. We also see different cuts of the bottom hem. Some were rounded like cut-away jackets. Other jackets were cut straight across at the hem. There were also tightly fitting jackets, including some taken in at the mid section. Others had more of a loose, baggy cut.

Types

A standard or sack suits came in two basic types: single- and double-breased jackets. There was a wide range of stylistic variations affecting the lapels, pockets, and other features of the jackets. But after the turn-of-the 20th century, single- and double-breasted jackets were the two basic choices for school age boys. Both styles appeared in the 19th century and were widely worn for many years. The two different options varied in popularity during this perios. Double-breasted jackets came to be seen as more formal. You do not see sport jackets commonly being mde as dounle-breasted jackets. After the 1950s we mostly see boys wearing single-breasted suit jackets. As a youth nin the 1950s, I sa double-breasted jackets as rather old fashioned. The War may have been a factor when styles usung less fabric were favored. There were some notable variations. The jackets were made in dufferent styles. One especially popular style for many years was the Norfolk jacket with destinctive pleats and belts. Many other jacket styles and blazers were made in both single- and double breasted versions. Blazers were, however, primarily dine as single-breasted garments.

Age Trends

Sack suits were worn by both men and boys. In the 19th century the frock coat was popular for men, especilly for forrmal occsions. Established men in important positions were more likely to wearc frovk cots. Younger men and boys wore sack suits and other A related style, the collar-buttoning jacket was only worn by boys and seems to have evolved from military tunics. We see boys of all ages wearing both the single- and double-breasted versions. The collar-buttoning jacket was very popular with boys and mostly orn by them. The sack suit was a style worn by bithboys and men.

Conventions

The sack suit was seen at first as a somewhat casual suit or jacket style. The frock coat was the more formal style.







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Created: 1:05 AM 2/16/2008
Last updated: 2:33 AM 3/7/2012