Figure 1.--Store catalogs can be very helful in dating old photographs. All we know for sure about this photograoph is that it was taken in Reading, Pennsylvania. The lace collar suggests the late 1880s as it is much smaller than the collars commonly worn in the 1890s. |
There are many different sources of information on historical boys' fashions. Some of the major sources of information in the 19th Century are store catalogs, fashiin magaazines, and photographs. Each have advantages and drawbacks, but used together along with
other available sources, such as paintings
and other artwork, published and unpublished articles and letters, and intact old garments allow one to create a reasonably good assessment of 19th Century fashions, especially in the second half of the Century.
Earlier periods are more complicated because of the more limited store catalogs and fashion publications and the absence of photography. The store catalogs give an excellent idea of what boys were wearing at
different ages as they had to appeal to popular tastes. They also provide details on materials used. The photographs are useful to confirm that
these fashions were actually worn as well as to indicate what hair styles and accessories such as hats, bows, collars, sashes, stocking and shoes were worn with the suits and other garments advertised.
Store catalogs have to be carefully evaluated as they were aimed at specific sectors of the population, often affluent families. Also chain stores were not common yet, so the fashions could be regional. Even so an
assessment of individual catalogs provides fascinating insights into boys fashions and trends. This page separates out the store catalogs.
Fashion magazines are less reliable than store catalogs as they sometimes are taken to fanciful styles which may not have been widely worn. This page
separates out the fashion magazines.
Photographs provide basically irefutable ecidence that a style was actually worn by real people. Unfortunately the date and details on where the
photograph was taken are often lost.
Here is a chronological list of the various catalogs and articles over time:
--1885, Spring: Stern Brothers
--1889: Delineator: Fauntleroy suits
--1890: Delineator: Dress
--1890: Delineator: Sailor suit
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to:Main photo/publishing page]
[Introduction]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Biographies]
[Bibliographies]
[Activities]
[Countries
[Contributions]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Rompers]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
