Figure 1.--This boy appears to be wearing a vest with his kilt suit, or it could be a dress with a jacket. This is a realtively early image showing a kilt suit, HBC dates it to about 1870. |
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HBC is not yet sure about the precise chronology of kilt suits. They certainly were a British import--at least the kilt which British princes began wearing in the 1840s. Available information suggests that American kilt suits appear to have originated in the 1860s and became popular in the 1870s. They were widely worn through the 1890s. They began to decline in popularity after the the turn of the century. They are little seen by the 1910s. There were stylistic changes during this period, but HBC is not yet able to detail them. This chronology is primarily based on American fashion trends. I am not sure about chronological trends in other countries. HBC has not note the kilt suit as such apopular fashion in other countries, but this may be ue to access to less information. So it is not possible at this time to assess chronolical trends in other countries.
Assessing the chronology of kilt suits is difficult at this time because HBC does not understand the origins of the kilt suit. We are not sure whether it was developed in Britain and exported to America or was the American creation based on the Scottish kilt. HBC has not noted a lot of English or Scottish boys wearing kilt suits--but this may because we have greater access to American images. Our initial observation is that Highland kilt outfits were more common than kiltsuits in Britain--but this is a very preliminary assessment at this time. This chronology is primarily based on American fashion trends. I am not sure about chronological trends in other countries. HBC has not note the kilt suit as such apopular fashion in other countries, but this may be ue to access to less information. So it is not possible at this time to assess chronolical trends in other countries.
The kilt suit is a garment of some importance. It was widely worn by American boys for nearly half a century. It was also popular in England, but we are less sure about other countries. We think that thetime line in America and England was similar. The Fauntleroy kilt suit which appeared about 1885 seems to have been more popular in American than England.
HBC is not yet sure about the precise chronology of kilt suits. They certainly were a British import--at least the kilt which British princes began wearing in the 1840s. Available information suggests that American kilt suits appear to have originated in the 1860s. Available information suggests that American kilt suits appear to have originated in the 1860s, perhaps the late 1860s. We would guess they first appeared in England or perhaps Scotland, but we can not yet use them. The photographic record cleary shows that they became popular in the 1870s. They were widely worn through the 1890s. They began to decline in popularity after the the turn of the century. They are little seen by the 1910s.
There were stylistic changes during this period, but HBC is not yet able to detail them.
HBC has primarily assessed the photographic recor to develop information on kilt suits. We plan to look at 19th century fashion an women's magazines to better understand fashion trends on kiltsuits and other boys' fashions.
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