Kilt Suit Designs: Jackets


Figure 1.--Kilt suits were commonly worn with jackets whuich vcober the blouse or shirt majking it difficult to see what was under the jacket. We see some examples during the Fautleroy era where the blouse almost covers up the jacket. We at first thought the boy was wearing a blouse with a kilt, but if you look close you can see that he has a jacket, but you can't see enough of the jacket to tell what style it was. Notice that this brother and sister are wearing identical stockings and shoes.

Blouses were worn with some kilt suits. We see boys wearing a variety of blouses with kilt suits. Some kilt suits were specifically designed to be worn with blouses. Others were not. We nore fancy Fauntleroy blouses worn with some kilt suits. The most obvious were the blouses worn with cut-away jackets, at least the ones worn without vests. With many kilt suits, however, it is difficult to see the type of shirt or blouse being worn. There were some kilt suits designed to be worn with blouses without jackets--sailor blouses. One of the most common was the sailor blouse, in pat of the popularity of the sailor suit by the 1880s. We also note boys wearing blouses without jackets, especially during the summer. Here the boys probably had jackets and even vests for their kilt/skirts, but did not wear them in the warm summer weather. The white fancy blouses may have been a summer adaptaion as it would have been uncomfortably hot to wear the kilt suit jacket.

Blouse Suits

Some kilt suits were specifically designed to be worn with blouses. Others were not. The blouse suits were blouses done in heavy material rther than shirtiing material worn for most blouses and shirts. They were done in different styles, most rather plain. We have seen some done with sailor styling. The blouse suits we have found button down the front. The material commonly, but not always matched the material used for the kilt. And thus was clearly meant to be woirn that way, part of the suit. We note fancy Fauntleroy blouses worn with some kilt suits. These Fauntleroy kilt suits became quite popular in the 1880s. The blouse, hoiwever, was not poart of the suit. It was purchased sepaeately and wotn with yhe dsuit, but not part of the suit. The most obvious were the blouses worn with cut-away jackets, at least the ones worn without vests. There were some kilt suits designed to be worn with blouses without jackets--sailor blouses. One of the most common was the sailor blouse, in part of the popularity of the sailor suit by the 1880s. Thus we see quite a number of sailor kilt suits. A good example of a kilt suit dress is Walter Owen in 1895.

Jacket Suits

Most kilt suits were mafe to be worn wuth suit javkers. With many kilt suits it is difficult to see the type of shirt or blouse being worn. There were quite a number of different jacket styles worn as part of kilt suits. The cut-away jacket was often worn with a fanvy blouse, especially in the 1880s and 90s. Other jacket styles were often not wirn with fancy blouses.

Summer Adaptation

We also note boys wearing blouses without jackets, especially during the summer. Here the boys probably had jackets and even vests for their kilt/skirts, but did not wear them in the warm summer weather. Almost always the blouses we see being worn with these summer outfits wre white or lkight-colored blouses like the ones normally worn with jacketed outfits. The white fancy blouses may have been a summer adaptaion as it would have been uncomfortably hot to wear the kilt suit jacket. Thus these were not blouse kilt suits, but jsclketed suits worn without the jckets durung the summer.





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Created: October 20, 1999
Last updated: 3:03 AM 6/14/2018