Boys' Cut-away Suit Jackets: Construction


Figure 1.-- This CDV here shows what looks like a grey two-piece Zouave outfit with a white collarless shirt underneath the cut-away jacket. He also has on matching bloused pants and black laced boots. The jacket is accented with dark braid around the edges and sleeve cuffs, plus a mock pocket on the left side. The pants also have dark braid running three-quarters down the outside seam from the waist. Backmark reads: "LUMPKIN & CO., Photographer, No. 737 Main Street, Richmond, Va." Written in pencil: "From Harry to Cousin Georgy." It is undated, but looks to be a Civil war era portrait. A HBC readers suggests that it is not a cut-away jacket because it is not significantly cut away. HBC tends to think that cut away jackets varied as to the degree of the cut and this is simply on the extreme of the jackets that were not sharply cut away. Also notice the full cut of the trousers.

The construction of these cut-away jackets varied. There were major construction differences were the size of the jacket and the degree to which the jacket was cut away. The Fauntleroy jackets were often quite small, noy only showing off the front of the blouse, but some times the waist areaa as well. Of course this was done to best show off the fancy work of the Fauntleroy blouse. The cut away-jacket means that the jacket was increasingly cut away from top to bottom. Here the angle of the cut varied. Some jackets were cut away very sharply. Some curved and others were a straight angle from top to bottom. Some jackets while buttobing only at the top were hardly cut away at all. These cut away jackets were thus made to be worn open, although there was normally only a single closure at the top. It may button or have a tie. Many employed a tab made in the same matrrial as the jacket.

Size

One of the principal construction features of cit-away jackets was the size. The Fauntleroy jackets in particular were often quite small. Most cut-away jackets came to or below the waistline. Fauntleroy jackets might not even reach the waist. These jackets not only showed off the front of the blouse, but some times the waist areaa as well. Of course this was done to best show off the fancy work of the Fauntleroy blouse. In some cases the large frilly blouses almost engulfed the small DFauntleroy jackets. Other cut-away jackets were larger and not over-shadowed by the blouse. In fact the blouses worn by boys in the 1960s tended to have very small collars and were often hidden by vests (waistcoats) commonly worn with them. These jackets were larger than the Fauntleroy jackts and nornally extended below the waistline.

Decree of Cut

Another construction feature of the cut-away jacket is the degree to which it is cut away. The cut away-jacket got its name because the bottom was cut away from the top. This means that the jacket was increasingly cut away from top to bottom. Here the angle of the cut varied. Some jackets were cut away very sharply. Some curved and others were a straight angle from top to bottom. Some jackets while buttobing only at the top were hardly cut away at all. We do not notice very many, but we do notice some.

Shape

Another construction element is the shape of the bottom, both sharp corners and rounded.

Sleeves

Another important fearure if ther jascket isd the slweeves. Some were full length. Others ended below the elbow and might be slightly slit. A good example od a cut-way jacket with short sleves and slit is a German boy photographed anout 1862.

Closure

These cut-away jackets were made to be worn open. This meant that some way was needed to connect the two sides. Here a variety of approaches was used. There was normally a single closure at the top. It may button or have a tie. Notice the simple button used here (figure 1). Many employed a tab made in the same material as the jacket. A good example is Ollie Vail in the 1860s.







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Created: 12:04 AM 2/5/2007
Last updated: 12:04 AM 2/5/2007