Figure 1.-- Here an unidentified American boy poses with his adoring grandmother. He looks to be about 5-6 years old. It is post card back portrait and ws probably taken about 1910. He wears his rather short-cut tunic with what looks like a large Peter Pan collar and floppy bow. Notice the fabric belt and pocket. And the tunic stripes are repeated on the collar and belt, something that was not very common.

Tunics were made with a varity of different fetures. The most important were the collar, buttons, and waistline treatment. The styling of these various elements varied over time, We do not know much about early-19th centyry tunics, but by mid-centuety as a result of the development of photography, we know much more. Tunics were done with a wide ramge of collars. The most detinctive were the sailor collars. Some tunics were done without collars others had collars of different styles and sizes. Eton and Peter Pan collars were popular styles, but we notice other styles as well. The syyle of collar is not always easy ti tell because some were worn with large floppy bows. There were also a wide range of sizes. We notice tunics done with and without pockets. And we notice them placed in different places.

Collars

Tunics were done with a wide ramge of collars. The most detinctive and easily recognizable were the sailor collars. Some tunics were done without collars. Others had collars of different styles and sizes. Eton and Peter Pan collars were popular styles. Here we see a OPeter Oan collar (figure 1). And we notice other styles as well. The style of collar is not always easy to tell because some were worn with large floppy bows. There were also a wide range of sizes. After the turn of the 20th century, floppy bow began to decline in style so we can tell a bit more.

Waistline Treatment

We notice tunic suits with defined an undefined waistlines. The placement of the waistline varied. We note empire (high waist) styling. A good example is Octavius Eastman in 1837. Two years later Thomas Sully painted his grandson Francis Thomas Sully Darley in 1839. The tunic he was wearing did not have a defined waistline. The popular tunic suits worn in the early-20th century mostly had defined waistlines.

Pockets

We notice tunics done with and without pockets. And we notice them placed in different places. The boy's tunic here is a goodc example (figure 1).

Created: 2:08 AM 1/25/2012
Last edited: 3:25 PM 1/9/2023