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Some kilt suit jackets were made as Fauntleroy kilt outfits. These suits came with short cut-away jackets just like regular Fauntleroy suits. In fact, when the boy got a little older the jackets could be worn with knee pants if the boy didn't grow too much. These small jackets were also called bolero or cut-away jackets. Many for Fauntleroy outfits were done in velvet, but other materials could be used. We think black was common, but other mostly dark colors were used. This is difficult to assess with the black and white photography of the day, Cut-away jackets were used to best show off the blouses worn with these kilt suits. The Fauntleroy blouses were the same as worn with regular Fauntleroy suits. These jackets usually matched the kilt-skirt, but we have also seen dark jackets worn with kilt-skirts dine in bright plaid patterns. There were, however, also matching kilt skirts. When the boy was breeched, he could wear these same jackets with knee pants. It is often not possible to make out the stylistic details of the jackets because so much is covered by by the fancy Fauntleroy blouses. We have noted various styles of these jackets. We are not yet sure about the ages. We have noted 2-3 year old boys wearing them. We suspect that somewhat younger boys wore Fauntleroy kilt suits than regulasr kilt suits because somed mpthers were anxious to dress their boys in regular knee pants Fauntleroy suits. The chronology of these Fauntleroy suits is more narrow than the overall kilt suit chronology in that the Fauntleroy style did not appear than the mid-80s.
Some kilt suit jackets were made as Fauntleroy kilt outfits. These suits came with short cut-away jackets just like regular Fauntleroy suits. In fact, when the boy got a little older the jackets could be worn with knee pants if the boy didn't grow too much. These small jackets were also called bolero or cut-away jackets. When the boy was breeched, he could wear these same jackets with knee pants. We have noted various styles of these jackets. Some were very small like one here that virtually disappear behinf the blouse ruffles (figure 1). Other were larger and not as sharply cut away. The Fauntlerpy jackets worn with kilt suits were the same as the ones worn with knee pants.
We often can not tell muxh about the cut of the kilt skirts worn as part of Fauntleroy kilt suits because so many were dark colors. Faultleroy kilt suits were worn with two possible choices as to the kilt-skirt chosen to be worn with Fauuntleroy cut-away jackets. The most common choice for kilt-skirt were done in the same material as the jacket. Some were done in velvet, but most were done in other fabrics--mostly wool fabrics. Material is something that is often difficult to determine from the photographic record. The Brooklyn boy here looks to be wearing a velvet Fauntleroy jacket and matching kilt-skirt, but there is no way to be sure (figure 1). The other choice for the Fauntleroy kilt suit was a plaid kilt-skirt done in bright colors. This was not nearly as common as the matching kilt-skirt, but we have found some examples--not many, but a few. Many kilt suits were done in muted plaids, but these worn with Fauntleroy jackets were done in very bright plaids. Unlike the dark material used with many Fauntleroy kilt suits, we can usually see details in the cut of the plaid kilt suits.
Many Fauntleroy kilt outfits were done in velvet. In fact, velvet is commonly assouiated with the Fauntleroy suit. This means both the jacket and matching kilt. Some of the filts were done in plaid, but nmore commonky there is matching jackets and kilt. Other materials could be used, but velvet was common. Velvet is a rare fabric that can be identified from the photographic record. We are not sure if the material in the Fautleroy kilt suits varied to any degree with regular Fauntleroy suits. The material looks basically the same to us.
We think black was the most common color for Fauntleroy suits. It certainly looks so in the photographic record. Other mostly dark colors were alao used. This is difficult to assess with the black and white photography of the day, but black can often be destiguished from colors. Unfortunatly, the colors often used for Fauntleroy suits were very dark shades.
The standard Fauntleroy kilt suit included a jacket, commonly a small cut-away jacket, and a kilt-skirt either matching the jacket or done in plaid. There were in addition a wide range of other accompanying garments worn with the basic suit. The most important was a famcy Fauntleroy blouse, but there were several other items as well. Our information on the headwear worm with Fauntlertoy kiklt suits is at this time limited. We have archived quite a number of images of American boys wearing kilt suits, including Fauntleroy kilt suits. Unfortunately most do not include the headwear worn with the outfit. We see boys wearing quite a variety of headwear. There was no widely accepted conventions on the matter. Scottish headwear such as Glengaries and Balmorals were not common. We notice the boys wearing both hats and caps. Some of the caps worn seen rather casual for such a formal outfit. Perhaps the mnost common headwear was the wide-brimmed hat, but that is just our preliminary assessment. The hats we see are mostly plain without all the embelishments often seen on girls' wide-brimmed hats. The hats we see are mostly plain without all the embelishments often seen on girls' wide-brimmed hats. Cut-away jackets were used to best show off the blouses worn with these kilt suits. The Fauntleroy blouses were the same as worn with regular Fauntleroy suits. The blouses varied. Some were enormous and frilly, nearly engulfing small boys. Other Fauntleroy blouses were more restrained. They were worn both with and without flopopy bows. The classic Fauntleroy suit of the mid-1880s was worn with a cut-away jacket showing off a fancy blouse. These blouses were quite varied, but had many common features. There were attached lace or ruffled collar--commonly very large collars. There were often also front ruffels. Some of these blouses had huge collars. Some had matching wrist cuffs. They blouced at the waist with a string closure. Many kilt suits were worn with vests. It was quite common. An exception were the Fauntleroy-style kilt suits. This was because the fancy Fauntleroy blouses were a major part of the outfit and they included both a large famcy collar as well as usually fancy flounces down the front. The cut-away jacket commonly worn as part of the Fauntleroy kilt suit helped display the blouse. A vest would have only covered it up. Large floppy bows were often wiorn with Fauntleroy kilt suits. They were done in many colors and patterns. The bows helped to add a little color to otherwise usually black or other dark-colored suit. While blouses with Fauntleroy collars were required with Fauntleroy kilt suits, the floppy bow was an optional outfit. We notice boys both with and without the large floppy bows. The same was true of standard Fauntleroy suits as well. American bopys always wore long stockings with kilt suits. We have never noted sicks of any sorts, even the tartan knee socks worn with Highland kilts. We see the long stockings dome in black and other dark colors. We mostly see boys wearing high-top shoes with Fauntleroy kilt suits.
These Fauntleroy jackets were usually done as dark solid colors in contrast to regular kilt suits which were often done in muted plaids. Black seems to have been the most common color, but we know from catalogs that other dark colors were used, including dark blue, burgundy, and forest green.
Kilt suit jackets usually matched the kilt-skirt, but we have also seen dark jackets worn with kilt-skirts done in bright plaid patterns. We note Fauntleroy kilt suits both with matching jaclkets and kilt-skirt and plaid kilt-skirts. You do not see this with regular kilt suits. There were, however, also matching kilt-skirts. Some of the Fauntleroy kilt suits were done in velvet. These kilt-skirts might have aont pannel, but were not commonly pleated. A good example is a velt kilt syit won by a Pennsylvania boy, Freddie Miller Shelton about 1890. We also note New York boy Freddiec Deveraux wearing a classic black velvet Fauntleroy cut-away jacket with a plaid kilt-skirt in 1892. The kilt-skirt also varied widely in how they wre styled. Some had kiklt styling and were pleated. Others were plain skirts, often not pleated.
It is often not possible to make out the stylistic details of the jackets because so much is covered by by the fancy Fauntleroy blouses.
We are not yet sure about the age conventions for kiltsuits. We have noted 2-5 year old boys wearing them. We suspect that somewhat younger boys wore Fauntleroy kilt suits than regulasr kilt suits because some mothers were anxious to dress their boys in regular Fauntleroy suits which were made with knee pants. We note Pennsylvania boy, Freddie Miller Shelton wearing a velvet kilt suit at age 5 1/2 years about 1890. We have not yet found a 6-year old wearing a Fauntleroy kilt skirt. We suspect that most boys by age 6 years woukd have been breached and wearing a standard knee pants Fauntleroy suit or other knee pants suits.
The chronology of these Fauntleroy suits is more narrow than the overall kilt suit chronology in that the Fauntleroy style did not appear than the mid-80s. The kiltsuit was worn from the 1870s to the very early-1900s. The Fauntleroy Craze exploded upon American boys with the publication of Mrs. Burnett's story (1885). Thus we only begin to see these Fauntleroy kilt suits beginning about 1886. The chronology of the Fauntleroy kiltsuit seems very similar to thst of the Fauntleroy suit itself. This helps us to date the many undated portraits. They seen to be most common from about 1886-95, but this needs to be confirmed. We still see these Fauntleroy kikltsuits in very early 1900s catalogs. They are not seen to any extent after 1905.
Most boys wore a variety of short hair cuts with Fauntleroy suits. Ringlet curls are often associated with Fauntleroy suits, but actually short hair cuts were muvh more common. We have found large numbers og boyhs ering ringlet curls, but they were a definite minority. The same seems o be true of boys wearing skirted Fauntkeroy oitfits including Fauntleroy kilt suits. Most boys weating Fauntleroy suits were younger boys, usually boys up to about 6 years of age. The boy wearing skirted Fauntleroy suits is only slightly younger. Thus the prevalence of rihjlets is only slightly younger for the skirted outfits. Most boys with both skirted Fautleroy outfits and pants wore short hair cuts. Asour archive grows we may b able to assess hair styling in more detail.
As far as we know, the Fauntkleroy kilt suit was primarily an American style. While we see kilt suits bing worn in other countries, primarily Britain, we have found few example of Fauntleroy kilt suiots in other countries. This may be do to the fact that we have an especially large American archive, but our archive for several European countries is substantial enough that we woild have notice Fauntleroy kilt suits if they were being worn to any extent. Nerver-ther-less we will continue to look for examples in other countries, there surely were at least a few as the Fauntleroy style was alsom popular in Europe, although not as popular as in America.
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