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We do not have much information on the age of boys wearing tunics in the 19th century. We suspect that most boys 2 years old would have not yet been breeched and still wearing dresses in the 19th century. hus we think tunics were less common for 2-year old during most of the 19th century than was the age in the early-20th century. We do not have much information for the 19th century, especially the early-19th century. But we know that boys commonly wore dresses at 2 years of age during the 19th century. By the 1890s, howver, it was beginning to be less common for boys to wear dresses. Thus we see 2-year olds wearing tunics in the early 20th century. By the 1890s, however, it was beginning to be less common for boys to wear dresses. Thus we see 2 year olds wearing tunics in the early 20th century. Many catalogs specified 2 1/2 years as the beginning of the age range for tunic suits. Tunic suits were popular outfits for American pre-school boys beginning about age 2 or 2 1/2. Some families dressed all their pre-school boys in tunic suits. The sizes indicated by catalog stores provide a fairly definite age range. We notice tunics suits made in size 2s, often 2 1/2. Thuis is the youngest we have noticed for these outfits. A good example is a variety of tunic suits offered by Montgomery Ward in 1914. The age range was 2 1/2 to 7 years. An even more common range was 2 1/2 to 8 years in the 1900s. This wide age range gradually became less favored because many 8-year olds who were in school did not want to wear the same styles 2 and 3 year olds were wearing. Rather they preferred the styles being worn by the older boys. This was a common beginning age for these suits. Almost all tunic suits we have noted were done in size ranges beginning at 2 or 2 1/2 years. Some began with size 3, but the size conventioin was much more common. Even when tunic suits began to go out of style in the late 1910s and early 20s, we still see them being done in size 2s. What is not entirely clear to us is what else the boys wearing tunics wore at age 2 years. Were all their garments tunics or did they have other garments. We suspect that some of the boys my have worn rompers in the early-20th century.
We do not have much information on the age of boys wearing tunics in the 19th century. As far as we can tell, really youngr boys did not wear tunucs in 19th century. They were more likely to wear dresses. We suspect that most boys 2 years old would have not yet been breeched and still wearing dresses in the 19th century. Tunics n the early-19th century seem more common fir scholl-age boys. Thus we think tunics were less common for 2-year old during most of the 19th century than was the age in the early-20th century. We do not have much information for the 19th century, especially the early-19th century. But we know that boys commonly wore dresses at 2 years of age during the 19th century. By the 1890s, however, it was beginning to be less common for boys to wear dresses. Thus we see 2-year olds wearing tunics in the early 20th century. This continued throughout the 1900s and 10s, but after World War I tunics rapidly disappeared in the early-1920s.
We notice quite a few 2-year olds wearing tunic suits. Given the age range in catalogs, we suspect that they were even more popular for 3-4 year olds, but we notice a substantial munber of 2-year olds wearing tunic suits, at least in the early-20th century. We suspect that we see a lot of 2-year olds wearing tunic suits in part because after the turn-of-the 20th century, the practice of dressing younger boys in desses rapidly went out of fasion. This was a trend that was noticeable in the 1890s, but much more pronounced after the turn of the century. Thiswas the last skirted gament to be commonly worn by boys, even younger boys like 2 year olds.
Many catalogs specified 2 1/2 years as the beginning of the age range for tunic suits. Tunic suits were popular outfits for American pre-school boys beginning about age 2 or 2 1/2. Some families dressed all their pre-school boys in tunic suits. The sizes indicated by catalog stores provide a fairly definite age range. We notice tunics suits made in size 2s, often 2 1/2. Thuis is the youngest we have noticed for these outfits. A good example is a variety of tunic suits offered by Montgomery Ward in 1914. The age range was 2 1/2 to 7 years. An even more common range was 2 1/2 to 8 years in the 1900s. This wide age range gradually became less favored because many 8-year olds who were in school did not want to wear the same styles 2 and 3 year olds were wearing. Rather they preferred the styles being worn by the older boys. This was a common beginning age for these suits. Almost all tunic suits we have noted were done in size ranges beginning at 2 or 2 1/2 years. Some began with size 3, but the size conventioin was much more common. Even when tunic suits began to go out of style in the late 1910s and early 20s, we still see them being done in size 2s.
As far as we can tell the styling for tunics did not vary by age. Thus 2-year olds wore the same tunic styles as 6 and 8-year olds. We do not notice any stylistic changes made for the older boys. We do know that the csailor-styled tunics were more common for the older boys than the younger boys.
What is not entirely clear to us is what else the boys wearing tunics wore at age 2 years. Were all their garments tunics or did they have other garments. We suspect that some of the boys my have worn rompers. Of course this would have varied chronologically as garments and age conventions varied over time.
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