Figure 1.--This boy wore knee-length pants in the same materoal and color as the kiltsuit and with the same styling. Notice the ottoman--complete with a tassel. Click on the image to see the entire portrait and learn more about the boy involved.

Most boys wore long-dark (presumably black) stockings with kilts suits. Assessing the type of pants-like garment is difficult because in most images only the stockings show. It is often unclear what kind of pants-like garment they wore with these outfits. Quite a number of boys wore pantalettes with these suits. Commionly they were lace trimmed pantalettes that came just to hem of kilt-skirt. Some of the plainer pantalettes worn in the 1820s-40s seem less common by the 1860s and are not commonly seen with kilrsuits. Some boys may have worn petticoats rather than pantalettes. It is not always easy to destinguist the two in old photographs. We believe that petticoats were less common, but we can not yet substantiate this. We do not note boys commonly wearing kneepants or the bloomer knickers that were worn with tunics by the 1890s. We do note boys wearing what look to be pantalettes or even short pants, made in the same material of the kilt skirt. As far as we know, pantalettes were alwayd made in a linnen or similar material and were white. The pants we have noted were in the same material and color as the kilt suit and with similar styling at the hem. These were much less common than pantalettes.

Chronology

These kilt suits and pants-like garments were worn in the late 19th century, from about 1870-1900. The pant's like garments worn with these kilt suits varied over time, but we do not yet yet fully understyand the time line involved for the various garments.

Designations

It should be stressed that the garments involved were not really undergarments per se. Pantelettes for example wre made to be seen, at least the bottom hem. By the late 19th century , however, this had begun to change, and as a result the pantalettes were often worn just at the lengrh of the kilt skirt and not below the hem as was common with dresses on the mid-19th century. The one exception here was petticoats.

Difficulties

Most boys wore long-dark (presumably black) stockings with kilts suits. Assessing the type of pants-like garment is difficult because in most images only the stockings show. It is often unclear what kind of pants-like garment they wore with these outfits.

Specific Garments

Pantalettes

Quite a number of boys wore pantalettes with these suits. Commonly they were lace trimmed pantalettes that came just to hem of kilt-skirt. Some of the plainer pantalettes worn in the 1820s-40s seem less common by the 1860s and are not commonly seen with kiltsuits.

Petticoats

Some boys may have worn petticoats rather than pantalettes. It is not always easy to destinguish between pantalettes and petticoats in old photographs. We believe that petticoats were less common, but we can not yet substantiate this.

Kneepants

We do not note boys commonly wearing kneepants with kiltsuits.

Bloomer knickers

We also do not note boys commonly wearing bloomer knickers like the ones that were worn with tunics by the 1890s.

Knee-length pants

We do note boys wearing what look to be pantalettes or even short pants, made in the same material of the kilt skirt. As far as we know, pantalettes wre alwayd made in a linnen or similar material and were white. The pants we have noted were in the same material and color as the kiltsuit and with similar styling at the hem. These were much less common than pantalettes.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing kilt pages:
[Return to the Main kiltsuit page]
[Main kilt page]
[Scottish kilts] [Scottish boys clothing] [Scottish school uniform] [Highland dance] [Irish kilts] [Irish boys clothing] [Irish step dancing] [Greek kilts]

Created: January 20, 1999
Spellchecked: October 14, 2000
Last updated: April 19, 2002