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Tunics were very widely worn by American boys in both the 1900s and 1910s. A good example is American boy Hewett Lindsley in 1910. Tunics continued to be a very popular garment for younger boys throughout the 1910s. We notice large numbers of offerings in the major catalogs during the 1910s. There are also many examples from the photographic record. As far as we can tell the tunic styles were very similar in both the 1900s and 1910s. We see tunics being done in different styles. Sailor tunics were especially popular. A good example is Theodore Roosevelt Johnson in 1912. We also see Martin Murphy in 1912. He is wearing a white sailor tunic. And we see 3-year old Paul Burham Dailey in 1914 wearing a sailor tunic suit. There were other styles as well. Tunics suits were mostly worn with bloomer knickers. We also note a wide range of colors and detailing. The summer colors thst were most popular seem to have been white, blues and browns and to a lesser extent red. Detailing seems to have been somewhat less elaborate than in the 1900s. The heavier wunter tunics seem less common than in the 1900s. The tunics during the 1910s may have been cut somewhat shorter than during the 1900s. We have not been able to find enough dated photographs to be able to understand stylistic changes over time. We notice the Hubbard boys in 1917.
Tunics were very widely worn by American boys in both the 1900s and 1910s. Tunics were worn throughout the 19th century, but new styles appeared at the turn-of-the 20th century We suspect that the popularity was in part because tunic suits were very oractical garments. And the summer wash suits made them easy for mother to wash, a welcome feature for mother. A good example is American boy Hewett Lindsley in 1910. Tunics continued to be a very popular garment for younger boys throughout the 1910s. We notice large numbers of offerings in the major catalogs during the 1910s. And there are also many examples of the catalog offerings appearing in the photographic record. They were especially popular for pre-school boys. There also seems to ne a social-class component. We see many middle-class boys wearing tunic suit, but not very many working-class boys. And by the turn-of-the 20th century with the appearance of the Kodk Brownie and snapshot we have a much broader photographic record thn ever before.
We note different styles of American tunic suits. TYhey were the new styles that appeared at the turn of the century. The two principl ones were the Russian blouse suits and the sailor styles. The classic Buster Broiwn suits were basically Russian blouse tunic suits. These are the styles we see mot commonly in the photographioc record. And the ones we see in the mass-market catalogs. The sailor styles had the well-known 'V" collar and back flap. Normally there was a dickey, but as with many summer sailor suits, it could be removed. The Russian blouse had collar around the boy's neck, usually with no front buttons. For Busdter Bron suts, large white collars and floppy bows were added. Of course these were the two basic styles. There were many interatiins of these basic styles. All kinds of features such as the buttoning and belt could be adjusted in addition to the detailing.
As far as we can tell the tunic styles were very similar in both the 1900s and 1910s. The tunics during the 1910s may have been cut somewhat shorter than during the 1900s. We see Merle White wearing a sailor tunic in 1910. We have not been able to find enough dated photographs to be able to understand stylistic changes over time. We notice the Hubbard boys in 1917. We see tunics being done in different styles. Sailor tunics were especially popular. A good example is Theodore Roosevelt Johnson in 1912. We also see Martin Murphy in 1912. He is wearing a white sailor tunic.
Tunics were mostly but notexclsively worn by pre-school boys in the 1910s. Most of the images we have found are pre-school boys although often have to estimate ages. Out assessment seems, however, roughly correct because we have extensive school portraits during the decade. And we rarely see boys wearing tunics in these images. Of course c;othing details in school portraits are usually not as detailed as individual portrairs, but they are clear enough to see that few boys wore tunic suits to school. As children generally began school at age 6 years we have a faily good indicator of age ranges. Of course some boys turned age 6 years after school began in September. So not all 6 year olds were in school. We see 3-year old Paul Burham Dailey in 1914 wearing a sailor tunic suit. Anonther example is Percy King Sparks in 1912. He wears a white summer tunic suit with page boy bangs. He looks to be about 4 years old. We have found a portrait with three unidentified brothers. The older boys wears suits. The younger brother wears a tunic brothers and looks to be 5-6 years old.
We note boys wearing tunic suits both for casual play and for dressung up. The styling varied somewhat depending on the conventions. We note John Koch wearing a dressy kilt. It is done as a sailor tunic, but with frilled trim rather than stripes.
A tunic suit consisted of two garments, the tuinic was the main grment and martching pants. In the 19th century they might be worn with long pants. In the 20th century they were worn with shortened-length pants, both bloomer knickers and straight-leg knee pants. The straigh-leg klmnee pants were often bloomer kniclers without the drawstring tightened.
Tunics suits were mostly worn with bloomer knickers. Tunic suits were often worn with socks rather than long stockings. It is the first grment with which we see Americn boys wearing socks, often white socks. Long stockings seem the most common, but we see some boys wearing socks.
We also note a wide range of colors and detailing. The summer colors that were most popular seem to have been white, blues and browns and to a lesser extent red. Often the color is done as triping rather than solid colors. While the black-and-wjite photographic record of the day does nor provide color information , the period caalogs provide quite a bit of color informtion. Detailing is clearly evident in the available photographs. And the detailing we note in the 1910s. seems to have been somewhat less elaborate than in the 1900s.
The tunic suit, atbleast the ones we see in the early-20th century, was a very flexible garment. It could worn as both a dress-up and play outfit. This was in part because by the 1910s, younger boys were no longer expectred to wear fancy dress-up outfits. Some sttill did, bit no nearly as many as during the Fauntleroy era. Thus a new tunic suit might be worn for chutrch or other dress-up occassions. There were also fancy tunics dine with lace and ruffles that were clearly for special dress-up occasions. We also see very plain tunic suits primarily used a summer play outfit. The fancy suits are probably over represented in the studio portraits. It is likely that mothers dressed the boys in thir best tunics for a formal studio portrait. Since the turn-of-the century we now have family snapshots, This did not exist to any extent in the 19th century when we mostly had formal studio portraits and wgich dominate the photographic record. Family snap shots show many boys wearing tunic suits as play suits. As far as we can tell, this was quite common, especially during the summer. Was mayerials could b used. Heavier tunics eorn diring the colder months were more difficult to laundr. This is clearly a nuch more realistic depiction as to how boys wore tunic suiys during an ordinary day. Quite a few were done in white, not the best color for play suits, but white outd=firs were easier to wash. Mothers could use bleach and not worry about color fading. Laundry was still a major undertaking in the 1910s, but important changes had begun to appear making doing laundry less onerous. The 1910s would be the last decade when we see so many children dressed all in white.
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