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English attitudes toward Scotland went through a sea change begiining at the turn-of-the 19th century. Scottish regiments became ainf of shock troops of Empire. And their performance during the Napoleonic wars was widely noted. And Scottish authors like Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott attracted large, admiring readerships. With that foundation an impressionable young princess who had been stirred by such works stepped on to the British stage--Queen Victoria (1837). The result was the growth of romantic notions about Scotland. As far as we know, English boys did not begin wearing kilts until Queen Victoria and Prince Albert began dressing the young princes in them. This would have been some time in the 1840s, although I am not sure about the precise year. we are not sure just how rapidly the fashion for boys caught on. For some reason we have not been able to find English Daguerreotype portaits. Photographs from the 1840s abd 50s seem much rarer than in America. We think some English boys wore kilts in the 40s and 50s, but we have not yet found any photographs outside the royal family. We do begin to see English boys dressed in kilts in the 1860s when CDVs become available. The boys involved are boys from aristocratic or other affluent families. We are less sure about middle-class families. We mostly see formal Highland outfits. Boys also wore kilt suits, but we think that they were less common than in America. Perhaps this was because English mothers were more aware of just what a kilt was or perhaps more taken with the mystique of Scotland. As far as we know, the British princes never wore kilt suits. And we mostly see them worn with cut-away jackets and Highland kilts. Here we see two unidentified brothers in London. The studio was McLean and Haes in Haymarket (figure 1). We are not sure if McLean attracted Scottish clentelle, At the bottom of the back the CDV read, "International Exhibition 1862the only House in London Mentioned for the excellence of their coloured Photographs with one exception." This of course was not the Great Exhibition, but it does help date the portrait to about 1862. English boys did not wear kilts for school or casual wear. On the previous page wew saw an English boy in a formal Highland outfit in 1877. We continue to see English boys wearing kilts for formal occassions and portraits throughout the 19th century.
As far as we know, English boys did not wear Scottish kilts in the early-19th century. At least we have not found any examples.
English attitudes toward Scotland went through a sea change begiining at the turn-of-the 19th century. Scottish regiments became the shock troops of Empire. And their performance during the Napoleonic wars was widely noted. And Scottish authors like Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott attracted large, admiring readerships. With that foundation an impressionable young princess who had been stirred by such works stepped on to the British stage--Queen Victoria (1837). The result was the growth of romantic notions about Scotland. As far as we know, English boys did not begin wearing kilts until Queen Victoria and Prince Albert began dressing the young princes in them. This would have been some time in the 1840s, although I am not sure about the precise year. we are not sure just how rapidly the fashion for boys caught on. Photogrphy wsas invented in France (1839). Daguerreotypes soon appeared in Englnd, but tnhy were not nearly as common as in America. ASnd we hve found few examples. Thus we know very little about kilt trnds in England. W do not know to what extent prduinary English mothers followed the Queen's example.
We see more English phtographs in the 1850s. And the new Ambrotypes ppeared. But still we see relatively few examples. We have not been able to find many English Dag and Ambro portaits. Photographs from the 1840s and 50s are much h rarer than in America. We think some English boys wore kilts in the 40s and 50s, but we have found few photographs outside the royal family. This may bebecause of the limited number of early portraits rather than prevalence, but it may reflect actual prevalence. Early formats (Dags and Ambros) were relatively expensive. We note Lord Elgin with his son Victor Alexander who is wearing a Highland kilt outfit with a black military jacket about 1855. They apparently had their portrait taken during a trip to Paris. Lord Elgin was Scottish, but the family spent areat deal of time in London and foreign postings. Victor was born in Montreal, Canada. We hav found san img of another boy wearing a kilt, agasin uth his father. Thiscwas an Ambro, probsanlt tken in the late-1950s. The portrait was tken in Brighton. This could mean he lived there or the family was on vacation.
We do begin to see many examples English boys dressed in kilts in the 1860s when CDVs become available. A factor here is that as a result of the CDV there were a substantial increase in the number of photographic portrauts taken. Thus the sudden substantial increase in the munver of images probably reflects the increased number of CDV portraits rarher than a sudden increase in the number of boys wearing kilts. Clearly by the 1860s the number of images suggest tghat asubtntil b\ny\umber of English boys were wearing Highland kilts. The boys involved are not only boys from aristocratic, but are clearly from affluent or families in comfortable circumstances. We are less sure about middle-class families pf more modest circumstance. As far as we can tell, these Highland outfits were for dressing up and there is no indication that the kilt was worn as a casualor play outfit. We mostly see formal Highland outfits. Boys also wore kilt suits, but we think that they were less common than in America. Perhaps this was because English mothers were more aware of just what a kilt was or perhaps more taken with the mystique of Scotland. As far as we know, the British princes never wore kilt suits. And we mostly see them worn with cut-away jackets and Highland kilts. Here we see two unidentified brothers in London. The studio was McLean and Haes in Haymarket (figure 1). McLean obviously is a Scottish name. We are not sure if McLean attracted Scottish clentelle, At the bottom of the back the CDV read, "International Exhibition 1862 the only House in London Mentioned for the excellence of their coloured Photographs with one exception." This of course was not the Great Exhibition, but it does help date the portrait to about 1862. English boys did not wear kilts for school or casual wear. As far as we can tell, the kilt was dresswear.
On the previous page wew saw an English boy in a formal Highland outfit in 1877. This is a formal Highlands outfits complere with a sporan.
We continue to see English boys wearing kilts for formal occassions and portraits throughout the 19th century.
We see quite a few English boys wearing kilt outfits in the 1890s. We see boys wearing kilts with a variety of jackets. Black jackets with military buttons seem a popular choice. WEalso see cut-away jackets with vests (wustcoats).Some were done in velvet. Eton collars seem popular. As far as we can tell, kilts in England continued to be a kind of party outfits for younger boys. Older boys may have worn them as a dressup costume. Often the English kilt outfits were not complete Highlands outfits. Often we do not see the English boys wearing sporans. Kilts are almost always worn with knee siocks, but Argyle socks do not seem as popular as in Scotland.
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