Figure 1.--This postcard portrait is undated, but was probably taken about 1910. The family group is two girls and two boys. The girl's dress is similar to her little brother's tunic suit, but note she does not wear bloomer knickers extending n]bdelow the hem of her skirt.

The tunic suit was an important boy's garment during the 19th century, especially the early-19th centuty. It was primarily a boy's outfit although we see girls occassionaly wearing a tunic or tunic-looking dress. Tunics were always presented in clothing catalogs as a garment for boys. We have seen some children wearing them that seem to be girls, although in the early 20th century that was not always possible to tell. Tunics as far as we can tell were always worn by boys in the 19th century. This may have been a little different in the early 20th century. This was more common in American than in Europe. We think that this might reflect girls wearing hand-me-downs rather than mother purchasing tunics for their daughters. A complication here is that some girls' dresses seem to be styled rather like boys' tunics. This seems to be only the case of the last phase of tunivs in the early-20th century. This actually is a development of some importance and occurs at just the time that we stopped seeing little boys wearing girl garmehjts like dresses. Some of these tunic-looking girl outfits are clearly dresses, but with a varier=ty of tunic elements. Thers are more difficult to descriminate from actual tunic suits. One useful indicator is that boys wore their tunic suits with bloomer knickers in the 20th century and they usually showed below the hem of the tunic. Here the length of the tunics and the bloomer knickers varied.

Boys

Tunic suits seem to have been particularly popular in America. Much of the information in the tunic section is about tunics in America. We know that they were common in the early ans mid-19th century. Quite a number of naive artists painted boy wearing tunics of various descriptions. They seem less common in the late 19th century, but we see them being very commonly worn at the turn of the 20th century. They were very widely worn in America at this time. Three styles were generally worn, but there were other styles as well. The sailor style was the most popular, but the Russian blouse and Buster Brown styles were also popular. These tunic were mostly worn with above-the-knee knickers and short pants. A related style, the Russian blouse suit was occasionally worn with long pants--mostly in the long pants variant. Very commonly the tunics were white or some other solid color. We are not sure about the colors at this time. We also see tunics made in patterns, but they were not nearly as common. Some information is available on individual boys. The tunic suit was an important boy's garment during the 19th century, especially the early-19th centuty. It was also popular in theearly-20th century. Popularity varied over time. It was primarily a boy's outfit although we see girls occassionaly wearing a tunic or tunic-looking dress. Tunics were always presented in clothing catalogs as a garment for boys.

Girls

We have found some children wearing tunics that seem to be girls, although in the early 20th century that was not always possible to tell. Tunics as far as we can tell were always worn by boys in the 19th century. We do not see mail order tunics offered for girls. This may have been a little different in the early 20th century. This was more common in American than in Europe. We think that this might reflect girls wearing hand-me-downs rather than mother purchasing tunics for their daughters. A complication here is that some girls' dresses seem to be styled rather like boys' tunics. This seems to be only the case of the last phase of tunics in the early-20th century. This actually is a development of some importance and occurs at just the time that we stopped seeing little boys wearing girl garmehjts like dresses. Girls in the 19th centuru made no effort to wear boyish garments. It would have been seen as improper. This is in sharp contrast to the 20th century, especially after World war I, where it became increasingly popular for girls to wear boiy gaements. Some of these tunic-looking girl outfits are clearly dresses, but with a variety of tunic elements. These are more difficult to descriminate from actual tunic suits. One useful indicator is that boys wore their tunic suits with bloomer knickers in the 20th century and they usually showed below the hem of the tunic. Here the length of the tunics and the bloomer knickers varied. Girls never wore the tunics with bloomer knickers or knee pants.

Difficult Images

The tunic was a boy's garment. It is, however, a skirted garmnts and dresses were made that look very much like tunics. So we sometimes can not differentiate between the two in old photograohs, our primary source of information. . It would be nice if all old photographs hasd the nmes of the children on the bsck. Some doi, most do not. So we are left to assess who is who and wheter we are talking about a tunic or dress. Of course tyhe unic style is only one dress sttle. Most dresses were done in other styles. So we have found manyn images that require interorettion. Most we are able to reach some conclusionsd. Some leave us mystified and we re still trying to figure out.

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Created: 7:32 PM 8/7/2007
Last edited: 3:37 AM 12/21/2011