|
The two principal kilt suit garments were a suit jacket and a kilt-skirt. The jackets were done in various styles. There were collar buttoning jackets, cut-away jacket, and lapel jackets. Some look like jackets purpose made for kilt suits. Others look like they could have also been worn with pants. The other prinary garment was the kilt suit. They were done with various styling. Most were pleated. many were done withn some effortb to create a kilt. Others look more like plain skirts. It has to be understood that many American mothers did not know precisely what a kilt was. Of course the kilt suit outfits were worn by upper and middle-class with mothers who were fashion concious. Vests (waistcoats) were optional, but fairly common. The suits were worn with blouses. The blouse collars were larger than those commonly worn in the 1860s. The blouse was not part of the suit usually worn with the suits.
The jackets were done in various styles. There were collar buttoning jackets, cut-away jackets, and lapel jackets. Some look like jackets purpose made for kilt suits. Others look like they could have also been worn with pants. The styling seems to have been primarily lapel sack suit jackers with skirt-kilts. The jackets were especially designed for kilt suits. This often meant that the jacket was cut off in the front amd did not fall as low as a stanfard jacket. This meant that the kilt skirt was better displayed. We also see some boys wearing cut-away jackets, like the boy here (figure 1). There are also collar-buttoning jackets. Collar buttoning jackets were still popular in the 1870s, but not as common for kilt suits as the other options. This had been a popular suit jacket style for boys in the 1860s. These jackets were done in the same material as the kilt-skirt. We do not note many of the cut-away jackets being worn with kilt suits during the decade. The cut-away jacket with pants was a very popular outfit for boys in the 1860s. There was a major change in suits during the 1860s. The popular trend was for suits to have matching jackets and pants. This was not the case in the 1850s. This trend for matching suits continued in the 1860s. And it caried over to kilt suits where the trend was for the jacket to match the kilt skirt. In addition to using the same material, the jackets and kilt skirts were coordinated through matching detailing like embroidery or even frogging. Some of the jackets were dome with extensive embroidery. This was more common in the 1870s than any other decade.
The other prinary garment was the kilt suit. They were done with various styling. Most were pleated. Many were done withn some effort to create a kilt. The boy here has akilt-skirt with sunbstantial kilt styling (figure 1). Others look more like plain skirts. It has to be understood that many American mothers did not know precisely what a kilt was. Of course the kilt suit outfits were worn by uppper and middle-class with mothers who were fashioon concious.
Vests (waistcoats) were ooptional, but fairly common. they were worn with both the cut-away jackets and the lapel jackets. Earlier vests were made to contrast with the suit. By the 1870s they almost always matched the suit. They were probably worn seasonally.
The suits were worn with blouses. The blouse collars were larger than those commonly worn in the 1860s. The blouse was not part of the suit usually worn with the suuts.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing kilt pages:
[Return to the Main American kilt suit 1870s page]
[Return to the Main American kilt suit chronology page]
[Return to the Main American kilt suit page]
[Return to the Main kilt page]
[Lace collar]
[Floppy bows]
[Cut-away jackets]
[Kilt suits]
[Stiped long stockings]
[Shoes]
[Scottish kilts]
[Scottish boys clothing]
[Scottish school uniform]
[Highland dance]
[Irish kilts]
[Irish boys clothing]
[Irish step dancing]
[Greek kilts]
