Figure 1.--American boys almost wore kilt suits with black or very dark long stockings, although this boy appears to have lighter-colored stockings than seen in most such portraits. A HBC reader has noted various details about the boy's clothes and suggested that this portrait be assessed in detail. Click on the image for a detailed discussion.

A HBC reader has inquired about this portrait. How old do you think the boy is? His lace collar is very delicate. His hair appears to be newly cut. That could be for the studio photograph or it could be the took the picture because he had just had his first short hair cut. The staw hat is something I would comment on. I think it is worth a statement. The plaid skirt of his kilt suit appears to have buttons down it, though it just may be the photo. The bow he is wearing on his collar is also worth noting. I maybe wrong but his blouse may be a sailor styled blouse with the lace collar attached. What are your thoughts? I also would make mention of the button shoes. Do you know the approximate year of the photo? Finally and this may also be the photo, but I think the stockings are a lighter color than normal dark tones. It seems to be a lighter shade than the blouse or kilt. What are your thoughts?

Questions

HBC in fact has many questions about this portrait. Given the boy's outfit, we thought it appropriate to assess the image in some detail. We believe that it a less formal approach to wear the kiltskirt was to wear it with the popular middy blouse. While it is difficult to tell that the boy here wears a middy blouse, the back flap does suggest thast he is. While this might be suitable for everyday wear, a lace collar could be added for more formal occassions. HBC is unsure about the conventions involved here. We suspect that this outfit may have been a way of wearing a kilt suit for less formal occasions. What confuses us here is that you would have thought that for a studio portrait, a boy would have presumably been dressed up in his best outfit. Another possibility is that it was to hot a day for the jacket, but the boy's middy blouse also looks heavy. We wonder if perhaps this was the boy's best outfit. Perhaps the mpther did not by the jacket, either because she was thrifty or perhaps the family was not very affluent.

Country Trends

We have no details on this particular image, but the boy almost certainly is American. We say both because the image came from an American source, but because these kilt skirts were most common in America and it was common in America to wear kilt skirts with long stockings.

Age

This boy looks quite young to HBC, perhaps about 3 or 4 years of age.

Chronology

We are not sure about the chronology, but would date the image at about 1890. The style of lace collar does not look like one worn after the turn of the century as does the shoe style. Also the quality of the photograph looks more like the 1880s. Thus around 1890 seems a reasonable estimate.

Skirt Style

The garments looks to be the style of skirt skirt worn with a kilt suit. Note the front pannel and buttons. What we do not understand is why the boy is not wearing the jacket with the kilt skirt. We do not note any pleating on the kilt skirt, although admittedly only the fromt pannel is clearly bisible.

Pattern

The material is a muted tartan. These muted tartans were typical with kilt suits rather than the bold patterns generally worn as Highland kilt garments. I though perhaps the pattern was repeated on the cuffs of the middy blouse, but the two do not match.

Outfits

Kilt skirts were worn part of the kilts suits that were so popular with American boys in the late 19th century. These skirts were also worn as part of a large number of different outfits. The outfits varied from the standard kilt suit to outfits with a variety of blouses from the popular middy blouse to Fauntleroy blouses. This boy appears to be wearing a middy blouse. It is difficult to tell, but the clearly vissible back flap does suggest a middy blouse.

Collar and Bow

A sacrf or bow was commonly worn with a middy blouse. This boys mother has added a rather lacy collar not normally worn on a middy blouse. The collar is unusual in that it is not just white, but has an added colored section. HBC is unsure just what color it may have been.

Other Garments

The boy wears his kilt skirt with long stockings. They do not appear to have been black, but rather chosen to match the kilt skirt.

Note the wide brimmed, flat top sailor net to him.

Conventions

HBC is not sure about the conventioins involved here. There are several possibilites. This could be a seasonal style. Boys might have kilt suits, but wear the kilt skirt without the jacket and vest during the warm summer months. Some mothers, however, might have only bought the kilt skirt and not the jacket. HBC notes, however, that contemporary clothing catalogs usually sold these garments sold as suit and not as individual components. Another possibility is that some of these outfits may have been worn as casual outfits, much as the actual kilt might be worn in the Highlands with a sweater.

Hair Styles

The boys wearing these kilt skirts had diverse hair styles. This boy has a short hair cut, very neatly combed. Our HBC reader believes it may have just been cut. HBC is unsure. Hair styles could be quite varied. Some boys had long curls. Many boys this age did have some kind of long hair cut. It was not uncommon, however, for even such young boys to have short hair.