Figure 1.--This American boy wars a checked tunic suit done with sailor styling. The portrait was taken in 1908 which can be roughly confirmed by the star pattern of the flag. I'm not sure about the color of the the checks. |
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We also see tunics made in a variety of patterns. A very popular pattern was checks. Done in different colors. We can nopt assess the pattern color given the black-and-white photography of the day, but we can access darkness. The patterned tunics were not nearly as common as plain-colored outfits. We note one 19th century tunic worn by an unidentified American boy in the mid-19th century done in a plaid style. This presumably is related to the growing popularity of the kilt as a boys' style. We are not sure how common this was, in part because of the limited number ofimags available from this period. We have also noted pokadot tunic suits, but this doesnot seem to have been very common. More common were checked tunic suits, perhaps done in gingham. The portrait on the previous page shows an Indiana boy wearing a checked tunic outfit. Many of these tunic suits were made at home. Thus mother could choose whatever pattern and material she desired. This caused considerable diversity. We are not sure about the colors used for these patterns. Conventions varied somewhat over time. Tunics at mid-century do not seem to have commonly matched the pants, but the patterened tunics worn in the early 20th century did have matching pants.
We also see tunics made in a variety of patterns. We have noted plaids, especially in the mid-19th century. We see very few in the early 20th century. A very popular pattern was checks. We have also noted pokadot tunic suits, but this does not seem to have been very common. More common were checked tunic suits, perhaps done in gingham. The portrait on the previous page shows an Indiana boy wearing a checked tunic outfit. Stripes were not very common, but we have seen them. We do not yet have enough images to fully understand the different patterns being used. Here as many of these tunic suits were sewn at home, it was entirely up to ,other what pattern was chosen. And mothers often had very definite ideas about what they wanted.
We are not sure about the colors used for these patterns. Here we need to consider both the color of the tunic, but also the color of the pattern used on the tunic. The patterns were of course done in different colors. And this varied over time. Pattens seem most commn in the mid-19th century. We see boys wearing shirt-like tunics, often with belts. They commnly have plaid or plaid-like patterns. We believe that they were very colorful garments. The many grey shades sugges this, but we have been able to find very little color infomation. The only color information we have found are colorized photographic images, although we have found very few. These unfortunately mostly appear about 1860 when the CDV appared. Colorized images of course are not color photographs providing precise color informtion, but believe that the colorized portraits are generally correct. Patterns are a very differnt matter. Colorizing patterns is much more complicated and time consuming than colorizing a plain color tunic. Some are less sure about the accuracy, especially if more than two colors are involved. We see patterns again becoming popular at the turn-of-the 20th century. Here we see mostly striped tunics. While we can not assess the pattern color given the black-and-white photography of the day, but we can access darkness. Most commonly we see colored patterns with light backgrounds, but we have noted dark tunics with light patterns as well. And we can often discern both black ans white, although some dark colors like navy blue will look like black.
Conventions varied somewhat over time. We notice some European boys in the early-19th century with matching tunics and pats, but our archive us very limited. This is especilly the case for the United states. We know muh more about the trends by mid-century when the invention of photography gretly increases the available information. the tunics we see at mid-century do not seem to have commonly matched the pants. Quite a few boys wore tunics, but matching pants seem limited. This is a little difficult to assess bevause both Dags and Ambros were commonly posed in such a way that the pants worn are commonly not shown or are diffivult to make out. At mid century (1840s-50s), as best we can tell were commonly some kind of pattern. Plaids or plaid like patterns seem common, but we do we see matching pants. As far as we can tell there wee few actual tunic suits. Are abikity to assess the pants changed with the appearnce of CDVs and cabinet cards. Faster exposure speed meant that the subjects did not always have to be photographed sitting down. Thus we have a much better idea of the pants worn with tunic suits by the 1860s. And the styling of tunics seems to have changed at the same time. Tuics were commonly solid colored, but we do see some patterened tunics with matching pants. We have only a few examples so we are not sure yet about the type of pants. We continue to see this through the early-20th century until tunics seclined in popularity.
The patterned tunics were not nearly as common as plain-colored outfits. We suspect that a factor here is that ready-made harments were increasingly common. Patterns may have been more populat with mothers than boys. We do not knowc if boys at the time had any thoughts of their own on this topic.
The popularity of patterened tunics has varied over time. We are not sure about the early 19th century. We do see many boys wearing brightly patterened tunics in the mid-19th century. Plaid was a popular pattern.
We note one 19th century tunic worn by an unidentified American boy in the mid-19th century done in a plaid style. This presumably is related to the growing popularity of the kilt as a boys' style. At the time, ready-made gasrments were still bot common. Many tunics would have been sewed at home or by a local seamstress. We are not sure how common pattern tunics were ast the time, in part because of the limited number of images available from this period. Tunics declined in popularity and we see few patterened tunics in the late-19th century. We begin to note some patterned tunics again after the turn of the 20th century. We see various patterens such as checks after the turn-of-the 20th century in the early-20th century. Plain solid-colored patterns were more common, but we see some boys wearing patterned tunics. A variery of patterns, including checks and polkadots. Here the variation is partly due to the fact that many mothers in the early 19tyh century sewed tunics. (The tunic like aess was easier to dew than many boys' garments.) And of course home sewers could chose whtever fabric they wanted. Ready-made tunics were readily available, but hem sewing was still very common.
Many of these tunic suits were made at home. Thus mother could choose whatever pattern and material she desired. This caused considerable diversity. Here there was a chronological factor. Virtually all tunics made before the Civil War (1861-65) were dewed at home or individual garments made by seamstresses. After the Civil war the ready-mafe cloyhing industry began to develop. By the turn-of-he 20th century, many probanly mosdt of the tunics we see in the photographic record were ready-made garments purchased in stores. Many were, however, home sewn garments. This meant that mkother could se;ect wht ever fabric and pattern she desired.
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