Kilt Suits: Hair Styles


Figure 1.--Some boys in kiltsuits also wore ringlet curls. This late 1860s or early 1870s image show a kilt suit with a sailor styling on the jacket. Note cross hatching pattern rather than stripes.

Boys in kilt suits wore a variety of hair styles. Boys outfitted in kilt suits after being breeched and graduating from their dresses are most commonly seen in short hair--based on a sampling of available photographic portraits. Mothers varied on whether to cut a boys's hair before or after breeching. The most common pattern appears to have been to cut a boys' curls before breeching which is why so many boys appear in kiltsuits with short hair. Boys wore many styles of short hair cuts with a variety of parts. Mothers did not always, however, cut a boys hair before breeching. While short hair appears to be the most common style, there are many images with the boys wearing long hair. As most of the available images are American, many of the boys with long hair wear ringlets. While in kilt suits, it was not unusual for boys to wear hanging curls and perhaps bangs but the curls were often cut when the boy was finally breeched (allowed to wear pants), an occasion which would brought tears to the eyes of many a doting mother. As a result, even after a boy began weraring pants, his hair was not always cut.

Hair Styles

Boys in kilt suits had their hair styled in many different ways.

Short Hair

Boys outfitted in kilt suits after being breeched and graduating from their dresses are most commonly seen in short hair--based on a sampling of available photographic portraits. Most of these boys before wearing kilt suits probably wore dresses much like those of their sisters. Thrifty mothers may have actually used an older sisters outgrown dresses. Thus for the boy, a kilt suitbat the time was often considered a definite improvement. Mothers varied on whether to cut a boys's hair before or after breeching. The most common pattern appears to have been to cut a boys' curls before breeching which is why so many boys appear in kiltsuits with short hair. Many appeared to have cut their son's hair while still in dresses or at the time he began wearing more boyish kilt suits. Boys wore many styles of short hair cuts with a variety of parts. A good example of a boy wearing a kilt suit with short hair is Emery Washington Elliot about 1880. One HBC contributor comments, "I agree completely with your comments with regard to kilt suits. It suprised me how few boy wearing kilts suits or outright dresses have long hair. Most of these kilt outfits are not feminine at all and the boys wearing them are immediately recognizable as boys. I can see why little boys may not have objected to such outfits since no one would confuse them with girls."

Long Hair

Mothers did not always cut a boys hair before breeching. While short hair appears to be the most common style, there are many images of boys in kilt suits wearing various styles of long hair. As most of the available images are American, many of the boys with long hair wear ringlets. While in kilt suits, it was not unusual for boys to wear ringlet curls and perhaps bangs--although bangs were not a very common hair style while kilt suits were popular. Bangs were, however, employed as part of the treatment of the front hair with ringlet curls.

Styles of Kiltsuit

HBC is not yet sure if hair styles varied with the style of the sailor suit. The suits had many different stlistic variations.

Standard suit


Sailor kilts

One of the popular styles of kilt suits was the sailor kilt. HBC has noted quite a range of hair styles worn with the sailor kilts. Boys wore hair styles from short hair to long ringlets.

Breeching

Boys who still had ringlet curls when finally breeched (allowed to wear pants) often had his curls cut, an occasion which would brought tears to the eyes of many a doting mother. As a result, even after a boy began weraring pants, his hair was not always cut. This was especially true during the Faunleroy craze of the late 19th century when mothers loved to combine fancy velvet kneepants suits with ringlet curls.





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Created: May 29, 2000
Last updated: 1:34 AM 1/15/2007