Figure 1.-- The kilt suit was made in two and three pieces. The basic kilt suit was two pieces consisting of a jacket and kilt skirt. The three-piece suit included a vest (waistcoat). Various headwear was worn with these suits, but we do do not notice matching caps.

The kilt suit was made in two and three pieces. The basic kilt suit was two pieces consisting of a jacket and kilt skirt. The three-piece suit included a vest (waistcoat). Various headwear was worn with these suits, but we do do not notice matching caps. The jacket was styled like a regular suit jacket and often worn with vests. The vest could vary significantly in design. There were quite a vaiation in style. The jacket here was done in the cut-away style popular for younger boys. This suit was worn with a Fauntleroy blouse. This was common for cut-away jackets. It was not, however an actual part of the suit. The boy, however, wore a kilted skirt rather than trousers. The kilt skirt was commonly longer than the traditional Scottish kilt that the fashion was loosely based on. It might be thought as a kilt, but was in fact different in many ways from the traditional Highland kilt. One major difference is length. The kilt skirt here was cut long so that it could fall below a boy's knees. Another difference was the detailing.

Cap

Various headwear was worn with these suits, but we do do not notice matching caps. A range of headwear including brioad-brimmed sailor gats, tams, and glengarys might have been worn with this suit.

Jacket

The jacket was styled like a regular suit jacket. The jacket here was done in the cut-away style popular for younger boys. This was especially common for suits to be worn with Fauntleroy blouses. The cut-away jacket was ideal for displaying the fancy blouses. Other styles of jackets, especially when worn with a vest, would have coverecd over the blouse. Of course it is a bit pointless to wear a fancy blouse if you are going to cover it over. The top shoulders of the jacket here were covered with the large collar of the Fauntleroy blouse. These were often done in expensive material like velvet for Fauntleroy suits. The cut-away jacket here is doing with detailing which seems to simulate a lapel. Note also the connecting tab at the collar. We also note piping and buttons used to decorate the side pockets and sleeve cuffs.

Vest

These kiltsuits were often worn with vests. The vest could vary significantly in design. There were quite a vaiation in style. This suit, however, did not have a waistcoat. It is possible of course that the vest is lost, but we suspect a light-weight summer kilt suit would have been made without a vest.

Fauntleroy Blouse

This suit was worn with a Fauntleroy blouse. This was common for cut-away jackets. It was not, however an actual part of the suit. The blouse here is cream colored. It hass a large frilled collar, but was not as fanct as many blouses we have seen. Especially the front seems rather plain, especially a Fauntleroy blouse to be worn with a cut-away jacket. Notice that the blouse here does not blouse out. This means that it was not a draw-string blouse. We wonder if there were buttons on the blouse or inside the kilt waistband to hold the kilt skirt up. Unfortunately we do not have an image of the inside of the kilt skirt waistband.

Kilt Skirt

The boy wore a kilted skirt rather than trousers. The kilt skirt was commonly longer than the traditional Scottish kilt that the fashion was loosely based on. It might be thought as a kilt, but was in fact different in many ways from the traditional Highland kilt. One major difference is length. The kilt skirt here was cut long so that it could fall below a boy's knees. Another difference was the detailing. This kilt skirt had elaborate work on the front pannel. There three shapes done with piping and buttons. This work is entirely ornamental. The kilt decoration matches the decorative work on the jacket. We have seen this tyle as well as rows of buttons used for kilt skirt decoration. We also note wide side pleats.

Hosiery

Most boys we have noted in the photographic record wore kilt suits with long stovkings. Most of the images we have seem to show kilt suits done in a heavy material. We have very few images of light-weight summer kilt suits. We are less sure what kind of hosiery would habe been wore, but suspect even in the summer itg would have been long stockings in America.