Figure 1.--This unidentified American boys wears a plid tunic with pantalettes and white long stockings. The ambrotype portrait is undated, but looks like the late-1850s to us. Click on the image to see the rest of the portrait.

Pantalettes were quite common for younger boys in the 19th century. They were worn with many different garments. Boys still wearing skirted garments (dresses, skirts, kilt suits, and tunics). The photographic record is limited during the first half of the century, and only begins in the 1840s. But we see them in early-19th century paintings. They are easy to spot in the first half of the 19th century becase they common fell well below the hem of the skirted garments. It was seen as importnt to cover legs. After mid-century it becomes more difficult as the pantalettea became shorter, but are commonly detectable at the hem of skirted garments. While pantalettes were primarily worn with skirted garments, we also see some boys wearing them with suits, especially fancy styles like Fauntleroy suits. We note an unidentified boy we think in the 1860s. We also see boys wearing kilt suits with pantalettes, although it is often difficult to tell as we usually only see a little material at the hem which also could be petticoats. Very rarely do the pantalettes/drawers coiver the legs. There are, however excedptions like Mark O. Harris in the early-1870s. It is not easy to tell if boys wearing tunics were wearing pantalettes or trousers. This is especially the case because we see boys wearing white pants thank look rather like plain drawers. A good example is a New York boy. Older boys wearing tunics would wear long trousers. Of course boys wearing dresses never wore trousers under them. Boys in skeleton suits also occasionally wore pantalettes. American boys usually wore them with long stockings. We note European boys wearing them with socks, but this was less common in America.

Dresses

Boys wearing dresses commonly wore pantalettes. We also see petticoats. Boys wearing dresses never wore trousers under them.

Skirts

Kilt Suits

Kilts were mostly worn in the late 19th Century. By this time pantalettes were becoming less common for children, especially for boys. While they were still worn as late as the 1890s, they do not commonly show in portraits of boys wearing kilt suits. There are of course exceptions. We see a few images of boys wearing pantalettes that cover the boy's legs, but they are very rarte. This can be misleading. The style for pantalettes by the 1880s was for them not to show in the same way we note in the mid-19th century. Thus boys may well be wearing pantalettes even thus they can not be seen below the hem line of the kilts skirts. Some images show pantalettes or petticoats (it is oftemn difficult to tell the difference) that just peak out at the hem. Notably kilt suits were often cut rarher long. It was quite common for boys to wear kilt skirts that fell to calf level, much longer than common for actual Highland kilts. Pantalettles were normally, but not always white. We also note boys wearing pants that were done in the same material as the kilt suit. A good example is Willie Beacon, we think about 1890. We are not sure if to consider these garments pantalettes or knee pants. Anotherv example is Roy Lafolette bout the same time. He wears checked and decorated pantalettes thst mstycvh his summer kilt suit. We also see boys wearing kilt suits with pantalettes, although it is often difficult to tell as we usually only see a little material at the hem which also could be petticoats. Less commonly do the pantalettes/drawers cover the legs in the late-19th century . There are, however exceptions like Mark O. Harris wearing a kilt suit in the early-1870s.

Highland Kilts

Unlike kilt suits, American boys did not wear pantalettes with Highland kilt. The Highland kilts were, however, not nearly as common as kilt suits.

Smocks

Smocks unlike Europe were no very common in America.

Tunics

We note an unidentified boy wearing pantalettes with a tunic outfit we think in the 1860s. It is often not easy to tell if boys wearing tunics were wearing pantalettes or trousers. This is especially the case because we see boys wearing white pants thank look rather like plain drawers. A good example is a New York boy. Older boys wearing tunics would wear long trousers.

Suits

While pantalettes were primarily worn with skirted garments, we also see some boys wearing them with suits, especially fancy styles like Fauntleroy suits. Boys in skeleton suits also occasionally wore pantalettes.

Hosiery

American boys usually wore pantalettes with long stockings. We note European boys wearing them with socks, but this was less common in America.

Created: 7:28 PM 2/21/2017
Last updated: 7:28 PM 2/21/2017