Figure 1.--This Paris CDV was probably taken in the 1860s. The children, surely were a little girl and her big bother, look to be about 5-7 years old. It shows a Paris boy wearing a tunic suit with long pants. At the time we were just beginning to see boys wearing shortened-length pants. Notice the belt, a purely decorative item.

French boys wore a variety of garments with tunic suits. We have begun to collect some information on these different garments. Most of the information we have is from the turn-of-the 20th century. We are less sure about the early 19th century. We have some infoirmation on headwear, pants, hosiery, and shoes. We have only limited information at this time, but are gradually acquiring information to develop this topic. We note boys wearing tunics wearing a variety of headwear. One popular style was sailor headwear. Many tunics at the turn-of-the 20th century were made with sailor styling. Sailor headwear, both broad-brimmed hats and sailor caps were a popular choice to wear with tunics, especially the sailor-styled tunics. French boys wore a variety of pants with tunics. In the early- and mid-19th century it was long pants. Here we do not have mucghh photographic ecidence. Photography was only invednted in 1839. There are drawings and poaintings. Often this meant long poants done in white or other colors and material that did not mobth the tunic. Gradually after mid-century we see boys wearing shortened length pants, both knee pants and bloomer knickers. And these shoirtened-lenth noants usually did match the tunic. French boys appear to have mostly worn their tunic suits with socks, mostly three-quarter length socks. We have not noted many boys wearing long stockings in available images. Lomg stockings were almost univerasl in America. Long stockinfs were not unknown in france, but the photographic record suggesta that socks were mich more commin in France. Most French boys wearing tunic suits appear to be wearing high-top lace up shoes. A few boys wear strap shoes, but this appears to have been more common in the 1920s. Available 19th Century images do show French boys wearing strap shoes, but mostly boys who had not yet been breeched and are still wearing dresses.

Headwear

We are not entirely sure about the headwear French boys wore with tunics. Our Frencg archiuve is not extensive. And most of the imageswe have found of French boys wearing tunics do not show the boy's headwear. The imageswe have of boys wearing tunics with headwear shows boys with a variety of headwear. One popular style was sailor headwear at least in the late-19th and early-20th century. Many tunics at the turn-of-the 20th century were made with sailior styling. Sailor headwear, both broad-brimmed hats and sailor caps were a popular choice to wear with tunics, especially of course the sailor-styled tunics.

Pants

The tunic suit also included a matching pair of pants. The styling in a tunic suit was primarily on the tunic itself. French boys wore their tunic suits with both bloomer knickers and straight-leg knee pants. The straght-leg knee pants seem especially common, but we are yet sure which was more common. The knickers were often, but not always, worn above the knees. There werealso long pants, mostly in theeary-19th century. Tunic suits with short pants appear to have been less common, primarily because short pants began to become popular tunics were going out of style . And of course there ppear to have been chronological differences, but our limited archive makes this difficult to assess at this time. As a result, we are vnot sure if the chronological differences in these styles or if knickers or short pants were considered more appropriate for different age boys. Our initual assessment is thatvage grading was ot an imprtant factor in terms of the pants worn wih tunics. We hink that the primary fctor was the generalmpopularity of the different ypes of pants that French boys wore over time. In the early- and mid-19th century, boys mostly wore long pants. Here we do not have much photographic ecidence. Photography was only invednted in 1839. There are drawings and poaintings. Often this meant long poants done in white or other colors and material that did not mobth the tunic. Gradually after mid-century we see boys wearing shortened length pants, both knee pants and bloomer knickers. And these shoirtened-lenth paants usually did match the tunic.

Hosiery

French boys appear to have mostly worn their tunic suits with socks, mostly three-quarter length socks. We have not noted many boys wearing long stockings in available images. Lomg stockings were almost univerasl in America. Long stockinfs were not unknown in france, but the photographic record suggesta that socks were mich more commin in France.

Shoes

Most French boys wearing tunic suits appear to be wearing high-top lace up shoes. A few boys wear strap shoes, but this appears to have been more common in the 1920s. Available 19th Century images do show French boys wearing strap shoes, but mostly boys who had not yet been breeched and are still wearing dresses.