Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
American mail order catalogs offer a very view of the styles and garments overtime to help us view changing fashion trends. Boys' suits have been made in a wide variety of styles, including kilt, blouse, single and double breasted, and many others. Suits were also made for girls which were basically less elaborate dresses, often with styalized jackets.
Suits were made for girls in the 1880s. Along with the misses' (girls') suits were "children's suits". HBC is not sure if this meant younger girls or the use of chikdren mean that that were suitable for younger boys and girls.
The B. Altman No. 49 catalog offered a variety of kilt suits along with knee pants and long pants suits. They were dark garments, usually in blue, brown, and green. Common materials were flannel, cheviot, cashmere, and a variety of others fabrics. They were available in both one-piece (bodice) and two-piece styles. These kilts were made for children up to 6 years which bmeans presumably boys up to about 7 would have worn them. Altman's in this catalog did not offer specifically boys' dresses. This means that before breeching that boys would have worn either these kilt suits or girls' dresses. Blouses suits were available for boys at age 4 and regular kneepants suits at age 5. Unfortunatey we do not have the date of this catalog yet.
Blouse suits are a new term for HBC, but we have noted these garments offered in 1880s catalogs. They appear to be single breasted, kneepants suits without lapels. Some have self belts. They were available for boys from sizes 4 to 8 years in a wide variety of fabrics. Materials included cassimeres, cheviot, and tricot.
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