Figure 1.--This boy in 1890 wear a kilt suit with a sailor jacket. Despite the popularity of the sailor suit, we have not noted a lot of these sailor-styled slit suits. This boy was from Elgin, Illinois. |
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The jackets came in a quite a variety of styles, some more popular than others. The basic styles seem similar to the basic style of suits boys wore with trousers at the time. We have noted a range of styles in the photographic record. Early suits came with short cut-away jackets. These jackets commonly did not match the kilt-skirt which were commonly done in plaid patterns. We have also noted both single and double breasted jacket styles. These standard jacket styles seem to have been the most common. We also notice some jackets coming almost to the hem of the kilt shirt. Less common were long jackets. We have also noted sailor jackets like the one the boy here is weaing (figure 1). We have also noted jackets styled more like shirts without lapels and buttoning at the neck. These jackets were longer than the early small cut-away jackets. There were so mny different styles with no single style dominant.
The basic styles seem similar to the basic style of suits boys wore with trousers at the time. Most of the boys wearing kilt suits wear these suit jackets. We have also noted both single and double breasted jacket styles. These standard jacket styles seem to have been the most common.
The cut-away jackets was one of the many jacket types worn with kilt suits. We first see kilt-away jackets in the late-1850s and in large numbers during the 1860s. We do not see all that many kilt suits in the 1860s when the cut-away jacket was most popular. We note different styles as wll as plain jackers and heavily enroidered cut-away jackets. We see fewer cut-away jackets represented in the photigraophic record during the 1870s as the kilt suit becomes a major style, but they were one of the jacket types we note in the photographic record. The style never completely disappeared, we even see them in the 1880s. The photographic record suggests, however, that the cut-away jacket was not as important as several other jacket styles. An exception here was the Fauntleroy kilt suit. They appeared after the publication of Mrs. Burnett's story. The classic Fauntleroy suit was worn with a cut-away jacker and so we also note these jackets worn with Faunleroy kilt suits.
We also notice some long jackets coming almost to the hem of the kilt shirt. These long jacket were much less common than the shorter jackets. We mostly see them in he 1870s. We do not see them much either before or after the 1870s. These jackets were done as both lapel jackets and collar buttoning jackets on a wode variety of styles. Some do not look to be ready mas=de (mass produced). As the kilt suit fashion became popular in the 1860s, these long jacketsvappeared. We are not sure what inspired these long jscket styles. Oerhsps they were to emulate what the designers thought were Highland kilt outfits. Or it was just the fashion industry's flight of fancy. Some were rather fancy garments like the ones on the previous page. We see decorations like pipingor othrer decorative elements. Buttons were used as noth decorative items and as practical closure devices. Others were plainer jackets. Like other kilt suits, some main have had plaid patterns, but others just used standard suiting. The jackets often were cut away below the waist, presumably a practical step so as not to curtail movenent.
The imasge of the kilt suit does not bring sailor styling to mind, but we see many suits with sailor-styled tops. We have also noted a variety od kilt suits done with sailor-styled tops. This has involved a variety of garments. We note both sailor blouses done in a heavy material as well a various types of jackets. The boy here looks to be wearing a pull-over blouse done in suiting, meaning a heavy jacket material (figure 1). Note it is heavy winter jacket. These sailor-sryled kilt suits could be quite plain. We also notice garments that looked more like jackets wehich buttoned up. This included both jackets that were made to be worn buttone up and others that were made to be worn open. The jackets made to be worn open were designed to be worn with a fancy Fauntleroy blouse. The effect is an outfit that looks like Dauntleroy kilt suit even though the jacket is clearly done with sailor styling. The overall effect is a Fauntleroy kilt suit, but here we are discussing the jackets.
Collar buttoning jackets were another major style for the suit jackets worn with kilt suits. We have also noted jackets styled without lapels and buttoning at the neck. Large detachable or pin-on collars and floppy bows make it difficult to see the collar button. We believe that they were done both with and without collars. Here the use of large detachable collars often makes it difficult to tell. These jackets tended were longer than the early small cut-away jackets, but comminly only extended a little below the waistline. We note them done in a range of styles. Some were rather plain like cut-away jeackets. Some were a liittle more complicated. We note that vertical stle elements were popular. These look somewhat like Norfolk styling, although belts were not very common. More visible or the botom hem of the jackets. Here we note many more varied styles. Here we note rounded sides and what look like flap pockets. We are not sure if they are pockets or just flaps as a design element.
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