The Lincoln Children: Clothing


Figure 1.-- Here is a mock up of the Lincoln family about 1861. Robert is pictured in a fashionable suit which looks coirrect for the period. Willie and Tad ae shown in matching blue suits. The small collars and cut of the jacket looks about right. The cut of the pants, however seems too modern for the period. Also the bows do not seem right. We are also unsure about the bright blue color. We have little information on suit color from the 1860s. The image comes from the Lincoln Museum Springfield, Illinois. The Museum declined to provide us the sources for the secesions concerning the depiction here. Click on the image for an actual photograph of the First Lady and the two younger boys which the Museum probably used as a basis for their depiction.

We know of very little written material addressing the clothing of the Lincoln children. We have seen letters from Mrs. Lincoln to the president while on her shopping expeditions to New York. She briefly refers to clothes she is buying for Willie and Tad. The primary source of information on the boys' clothes, however, is the photographic record. We have found several portraits that provide us some basic information. `

Styles

The Lincoln boys as was the fashion of the day wore dresses as younger boys. Few images exist, however, of the boys in dresses. After breeching the boys wore a variety of juvenile styled jackets. One popular style was a jacket worn open or with one button. The jacket had sides which fell away. The boys by 8 or 9 years increasingly adult looking, rather non-descript suits. The new fashion of knee pants for boys appeared in the 1860s, but as far as I know, Willie and his brothers all wore long trousers after they were breeched.

Parental Attitudes

Mary Todd Lincoln was quite an extravagant wife. She spent large amounts on clothes and home furnishings, often without her husband's permission. Interestingly, despite her interest in finery, she does seem to have taken great interest in dressing her sons in fashionable clothes. The differing background of the parents may have affected their views on how the boys should be dressed. The rather plain dressing, backwoods father and stylish, urbane mother may have had very different opinions. If so, however, I know of no authors reporting on any such disagreements.

Boy' Views

The Lincoln's permissive parental style probably affected the way the boys were dressed. As little boys they wore dresses and juvenile suits. They began wearing more adult-looking suits at a fairly young age. Perhaps their parents bought the styles the boys wanted as soon as they began expressing an opinion on the subject.







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