|
The kilt suit continued to be very popular for boys in the the 1890s, especially the early and mid-1890s. We see various styles for these suits. We still see some Fauntlrtoy-styled kilt suits as well as suits with sack suit jackets. These were the same styles we noted in the 1880s. We also see boys with blouse tops rather than jackets. We note a Cadiz, Ohio boy during 1890. A range of materials were used. We more most dark material with muted plaids. The jackets often had embroidered detailing (figure 1). Plaids were very popular for these suits in keeping with the kilt theme. We also notice some light material. As these were suits, the jackets and kilt-skirt normally matched, but this was not always the case. The kilt suit through the 1890s remained one of the most popular outfits for younger American boys. A good example is Walter, a Philadelpia boy in 1892 wearing a Fauntleroy kilt suit. Walter's kilt suit had a matching jacket a kilt-skirt. We notice New York boy Freddiec Deveraux in the same year wearing a Fauntleroy kilt suit with a plaid kilt-skirt. They were very common in the early 90s but began to decline in popularity during mid-decade as the centuries old convention of dressing boys in dresses and other skirted garments began to go out of style. This is difficult to assess in the photographic record as many of the portraits we have found are not dated. We note both standard kilt suits and the Fauntleroy kilt suits with fancy blouses. We also notice boys wearing other large collars such as Eton collars, often with floppy bows. This trend began in the 1880s and cointinued into the 90s. Most of the portraits show the boys wearing dark, probably black, long stockings. We notice Tommy Purcell wearing a sailor pleated skirt outfit in 1892.
The kilt suit continued to be very popular for boys in the the 1890s, especially the early and mid-1890s. The kilt suit through the 1890s remained one of the most popular outfits for younger American boys. A major factor was prosperity. The kilt suit was an expensive garment. More expensive than a standard dress. The United States was undergoing a massive industrial expansion. This made the United States the preminent industrial power in the world. With this came uprecedented prosperity. Americans were the most prosperous people on earh and industrial expansion only added to that affluence. This mean more amore people could afford to dress well and dress their children well. It was not just wealthy people, but the expanding American middle class. A good example is Walter, a Philadelpia boy in 1892 wearing a Fauntleroy kilt suit. Walter's kilt suit had a matching jacket a kilt-skirt. We notice a New York boy Freddiec Deveraux in the same year wearing a Fauntleroy kilt suit with a plaid kilt-skirt. They were very common in the early-90s but began to decline in popularity during mid-decade as the centuries old convention of dressing boys in dresses and other skirted garments began to go out of style. This is difficult to assess in the photographic record as many of the portraits we have found are not dated. But we see fewer boys wearing kilt suits by the end of the decade.
Two factors seem to have affected age distribution in the 1890s. First of all was American prosperity, meaninhg that more familirs than ever before could afford to dress their children well. As a result we find more examoples at each age group. Second, for some reason American mothers about mid-decade began to chose skirted garments, especially dresses less commonly than before, espdcially for older boys. Thus we begin to see fewer boys , especially 5 and6 year olds wearing kilt suits. This trend would be especially apparent in the 1890s. We are not sure just what caused this shift. The popularity of Fauntleroy styling, but we are not at all sure. We notice boys weaing kilt suits from about 2-years of age, but mostly we see boys beginning to wear these kilt sduits in the 1890s at about 3 years of age. The boy here looks to be about 3 years old (figure 1). The 1890s was the last deade that we see really large number of boys wearing kilt suits. We are still wotking on the age range, but we still see 5-year olds wearing kilt suits during the 1890s, at least in the early-90s. We have not found mny 6-year olds, but 4 and 5 year olds were fairly common, Kilt suits were far less commn by the end of the decade and we mostly see younger boys wearing them. The mid-90s eemd to have been a major tutning point in the fashion of younger boys wearing skirted garmets. This is difficult to precusely identify, but there is no nsoubt that the kilt suit fashion had significantly declined by the 1900s decade.
Kilt suits continued tobe dine in various styles. We see various styles for these kilt suits and the photographic record as a result of the outfits populaity ofers many examples of the various styles. Many kilt suits were done with suits with sack suit jackets. We still see some Fauntleroy-styled kilt suits. There will also sailor kilt suits. And we also see boys with blouse tops rather than jackets. as well as These were the same styles we noted in the 1880s. We are assessing the various portraits to see if there were any discernable chronological trends. We do not yet notice any stylistic trend, but by the end of the decade we see the kilt suit becoming much less common and being worn by increasingly younger boys. We note a Cadiz, Ohio boy wearing a blouse top rarher than a jacket during 1890. We note both standard kilt suits and the Fauntleroy kilt suits with fancy blouses. We also notice boys wearing other large collars such as Eton collars, often with floppy bows. This trend began in the 1880s and cointinued into the 90s. Most of the portraits show the boys wearing dark, probably black, long stockings. We notice Tommy Purcell wearing a sailor pleated skirt outfit in 1892.
A range of materials were used We more most dark material with muted plaids. Plaids were very popular for these suits in keeping with the kilt theme. We also notice some light material.
We notice a range of garment worn with kilt suite. This includes both the suit garments meaning primarily the top and kilt-skirt garments. We also notice the many associated garments that were not part of the suit. The two basic kilt suit garments are the tops and kilt-skirt bottoms. We see a range of both. We also see
that the boys often wore suit jackets with the kilt suit, Thre were various types of suit hackets. Some were specifically done to be worn as kilt suits. Others could just as easily be worn with knee pants. we also see blouses done in a heavy material than a normal blouse, but this as not always the case. We also notice the kilt/skirt garments bottoms. They were done in a range of tyles from actual kilts to plin skirts and many permutations in between. While the tops ahd kilt/skirt bottoms were the two pricipal kilt suit garment, they were not the only one. We also see many wearing vests. They were optional, but very common. We notice many different styles done in both contrasting and identical fabrics. As these were suits, the jackets and kilt-skirt normally matched, but this was not always the case. Associated garments incluse headwear, neckwear. collars, hosiery, and footwear. We notice boys wearing aramge of headwear with kilt suits, including tams and sailor syles, although commonly we headwear is not in the portrait. Many boys wore floppy bows although neckwearwas optional. Most of the portraits show the boys wearing dark, probably black, long stockings. Most boys wore high-tip shoes.
Most of the decoration was on the tops of the kilts suits, cpmmpmly the jackets. The jackets often had embroidered detailing (figure 1).
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 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]
