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We have much more information on childrens clothing from the 1860s. This was due to the development of albumen paper and the CDVs well as the larger cabinet card later in the decade. This reduced the cost of portraits as well as made copies possible. Huge numbers of photographic portraits were made in the 1860s, more than ever before. There seem to have been some kilts suits in america during the 1950s, but the photographic recor suggests that there were not very many. The much larger photographic record of the1860s suggests that the popularity was invreasing. Thus we have great detail on clothing in the 60s. We do not note many kilt suits in the 1860s. At the time dresses seemed more common for younger boys. We do see a few boys wearing kilt suits, but the images are undated and we are estimating the dates. We would not state categorically that kilt suits were not common in the 1860s. We think that they were not, but we believe that they were being worn in the late-1860s. Styles were quite varied. We think tha the americans were picking up on a British fashion. There was much more variety in American kilt suits than in any other country. European boys beyond Britain did not commonly wear kilt suits, although we see some in France. They seem to have closely followed Brirish styling with these garments. American mothers on the other hand seem less sure as to just what a kilt was or that concerned about closely following plaid patterns or perhaps not all that sure about the need to do so. They do not, however, seem to have been very common and widely worn. We think the time line for kilt suits in America were similar to Britain, but may have appeared in America a few years later than Britain. The few kilt suits we notice have collar-buttoning jackets that look somewhat like jacketed dresses. A good example is Albert DuBois. The realative rarity of images of kilt suits in the 1860s suggests to us that that they were not yet very common. We have enough portraits from the 1860s so that we have a good overview of popular styles. We also believed that they appeared in the late 1860s. We also notice bold plaids. One photograph shows a ruffled collar.
We first see any substantial numbers of America boys wearing kilt suits in the 1860s. This was in part because of a huge increase in the number of photographic portraits. The decade was a turning point in American photography. Daguerreotype was the first process and made in relatively small numbers. The Ambrotype had emerged as the primary photographic portrait in the 1850s, replacing the Daguerreotype. The tintype appeared about the same time as the Ambro. The first tintypes were dione as caged images, but unlike Dags and Ambrios continued to be done wiyhout cases after thec appearabce of the CDV. The Ambro continued the ttklec as the main photograophic type for only a few years because the CDV, an albumen process photograph, appeared in the early-1860s and quickly became the standard American studio portrait format as the the Civil War was being fought (1861-65). As it involved a negative, copies cold be made leading to a huge increase in the number of photographs. Another factor was cost. Paper prints were much less expensive Dags and even glass. Thus part of the reason we see more kilt suit images in the 1860s is that there were so many more images. Photography shifted from a rather small number of images albeit far more than painted portraits to a virtually unlimited number of images.
The cassed images were at first Dasgs (1840s). The Ambrotypes appeared (mid-1950s and very quickly began to replace the Dags (mid-1850s). The tin-type also appeared at this type and at first was trated like the Dags and Ambros. We have found several images of boys wearing kilt suits. These early images are easy to identify because they differ than the standard kilt suits that we see by the 1870s. A good example is an unidentified boy, we think was photogrphed in the very early-1860s along with separate portraits of what seem to be well-to-do parents. He was photographed with a drum set emulating a Civil War drummer boy. Another image shows him without the drum, clearly showing his kilt suit. Notice the pants, perhaps knickers. he is wearing with the kilt suit.
We have much more information on childrens clothing from the 1860s. essentially auantum leap. we have many more images than every before and much higher quality imahes. This was due to the development of albumen paper and the CDVs well as the larger cabinet card later in the decade (1866). This reduced the cost of portraits as well as made copies possible. Huge numbers of photographic portraits were made in the 1860s, more than ever before. aslbumen oprints became the standard photographic format during the late-19th century (1860s-90s). This of course is the era in which the kilt-suit was a popular style for younger boys. Quite a few American boys wore kilt suits with pants, altthough this is ofren difficult to determine. We also notice them weating pantlettes. We have not yet been able to determine a general conventions.
There seem to have been some kilts suits in America during the 1850s, but the photographic record suggests that there were not very many. We suspect that this was in part an economic trend. A suit was n expensive garment. We see suits done in fkat opattrns, but we also see patterns, The boy here wears a bright plaid (figure 1). We see another boy wearing a checked suit. There seem to have been more tunics, some with plaid-like patterns. At the time dresses seemed more common for younger boys than kilt suits. And these included plaid dresses.
We think the time line for kilt suits in America were similar to Britain, but may have appeared in America a few years later than Britain. American fashions were still strongly ifluenced by Europe. The kilt was of course a Scottish garment. The We think tha the American were picking up on a British fashion. kilt suit, hoever, we think originated in Englamd, although were arre still working on that.
We think that they were not, but we believe that they were being increasingly worn in the late-1860s. The much larger photographic record of the 1860s suggests that the popularity was increasing. Thus we have great detail on clothing in the 60s. We do not note many kilt suits in the 1860s. We do see a few boys wearing kilt suits, but most of the the images are undated and we are estimating the dates. We would not state categorically that kilt suits were not common in the 1860s.
They do not, however, seem to have been very common and widely worn.
The American kilt suit styles we see in the 1860s were quite varied. There was much more variety in American kilt suits than in any other country. European boys beyond Britain did not commonly wear kikt suits, although we see some in France. They seem to have closely followed Brirish styling with these garments. American mothers on the other hand seem less sure as to just what a kilt was or that concerned about closely following plaid patterns or perhaps not all that sure about the need to do so. Thuswe see a wide range of styling apatterns being used for these outfits. Many used skirts with no attempt at kilt styling or even pleats, although there was often some attempt at a plaid pattern. The few kilt suits we notice have collar-buttoning jackets that look somewhat like jacketed dresses. A good example is Albert DuBois. The realative rarity of images of kilt suits in the 1860s suggests to us that that they were not yet very common. We have enough portraits from the 1860s so that we have a good overview of popular styles. We also believed that they appeared in the late 1860s. We also notice bold plaids. One photograph shows a ruffled collar. Almost all of the collars were small. The boy here is on the large side for the 1960s. We notice some boys wearing pantalettes with kilt suits.
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