Figure 1.--Ringlet curls was not one of the more common hair styles worn with tunic suits, but we do see some examples. The tunic suit with bloomer knickers tells us that the unidentified child here was a boy. He is holding a stick with what looks like a baloon attached. The studio was Lloyd in Troy, New York. The ringlets as well as the mount suggest to us that this portrait was taken about 1905.

We still see some boys wearing ringlets with the tunic suits that became popular at the turn-of-the 20th century. Tunics in the firt decade of the 20th century were a major fashion trend. Ringlets for boys, however, were a declining fashion. Ringlet curls were becoming less common after the turn-of-the 20th century, just the time that tunics suits were becoming especially popular. There was an overlap in the 1900s. We still see boys wearing ringlets, especially in the early-1900s. By the 1910s it had become notably less common, especially for boys beyond the todler stage, many of whom were wearing tunics. Most of the examples we have found come from the 1900s, especially the first half of the decade. Some of the tunic suits cold be worn for play as well as dressing up. Some of the tunic suits, however, were clearly made for dressing up. Which in part explains why we see some boys in ringlets wearing them. Boys with ringlet curls were more commonly dressed formally than other boys. Ringlet curls for boys declined sharply in popularity during the 1910s even though tunics continued to be very popular until the 1920s. Many of the images we have found are undated, but can be roughly dated by the mount, postcard stamp box, or other factors.

Two Fashion Trends

Here we are talking about two different fashion trends, hair styles and clothing. They were both 19th century fashions. Ringlet curls were popular for boys in the late-19th century. Tunics were born by boys throughout the 19th century. We see them in Europe during the early-19th century, but in America beginning with mid-century. This may be because we do not have many images for the early-19th century. Actually boys wore tunics throughout the 19th century although the popularity varied greatly over time. We still see some boys wearing ringlets with the tunic suits that became especiually popular at the turn-of-the 20th century. Tunics in the firt decade of the 20th century were a major fashion trend. We see large number of pre-school boys wearing them. A few younger boys even wore them to school. Ringlets for boys, however, were a declining fashion. Ringlet curls were becoming less common after the turn-of-the 20th century, just the time that tunics suits were especially popular.

Early-20th Century Overlap

There was an overlap in the 1900s. We still see boys wearing ringlets, especially in the early-1900s. By the 1910s it had become notably less common, especially for boys beyond the todler stage, many of whom were wearing tunics. And the popularity of unics continued during the 1910s. Most of the examples we have found come from the 1900s, especially the first half of the decade. Thre was no definitive cut off, but this conbination seems most common in the 1900s. Thus most of these images date to the 1900s. A good example is American boy: Dayton Sizer Jr., 5-year old Illinois boy. Another example is Ivan Eugene Perry about 1906-07. While there were play tunics there were also styling tunics. Ringlets were becoming less popular forvboys at this time. But the tunic was such a popular garment, we see quite a few mothers doing their sons hair in ringlets with tunic outfits. By the 1910s, the fashion of ringlets for boys had begun to decline. Tunics were, however, still a major style for boy in the 1910s. We note Theodore Roosevelt Johnson in 1912, probably just before he began school.

Usage

Some of the tunic suits cold be worn for play as well as dressing up. Some of the tunic suits, however, were clearly made for dressing up. Which in part explains why we see some boys in ringlets wearing them. This seems especially the case with the fancy tunics worn in the 1900s. We see quite a few boys wearing tunics with ringlet curls, especially in the 1900s.Boys with ringlet curls were more commonly dressed formally than other boys. And rgis also explains why they appear in formal studio portraits. Ringlet curls for boys declined sharply in popularity during the 1910s even though tunics continued to be very popular until the 1920s. Many of the images we have found are undated, but can be roughly dated by the mount, postcard stamp box, or other factors.

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Created: 6:05 PM 11/25/2014
Last edited: 12:55 AM 9/1/2017