Figure 1.--This young boy, I think in the early 1880s, wears a pleated, striped wool skirt and solid-color jacket. Note the double row of buttons in the double breasted style. He has a small lace collar with bows. Short hair was prevalent in until the mid-1980s when the Fauntleroy craze began. The carte de viste image is from the Photographic Studio of E.G. Goldsmith, 374 Main St., Springfield, Mass.

The boys's suit jacket has changed comsiderably over time. The first suit jackets worn exclusively by boys with skeleton suits. Boys began wearing the modern style of jackets and trousers in the early 19th Century as skeleton suits declined in popularity. Quite young boys might wear a jacket after breeching, at first mostly with long trousers. During the early 19th century they might commonly wear tunics after breeching before acquiring a suit. Early suit jackets were not well fitted. They commonly did not have lapels and buttoned at the collar. Some jackets for younger boys appeared with fancy embroiderd design and were cut short to show off the boys' blouse. Older boys wore jackets that completely covered their shirtwaists. After mid-century many different styles of boys suits appeared. Many were quite plain, others like the Fauntleroy suit unbelievably fancy for a boy. Perhaps the most common late 19th century boys' suit was the sailor suit. Older boys wore Eton, Norfolk, Suffolk, and many other styles of suit jackets. Many suit styles from the late 19th century persisted in the early 20th century, but by the 1910s and especially after World War I (1914-18) boys increasingly wore recognizably modern suit styles. Minor changes in lapel sizes or detailing might occur, but by the 1920s the basic double breasted and single breasted suit as well as the blazer were well established. The sailor suit had declined in popularity, although this varied from country to country. In America the juvenile Eton suit for small boys had appeared.

Figure 2.--Boys in the 1860s wore fancy suits with matching jackets and pants. The style of knee or calf-length pants began to be seen with increasing frequency.

Early 19th Century (1800-40)

We know less about the early-19th century than later periods because of the absence of photograpy. Generally boys wore dresses when very young. The first suit jackets were worn with skeleton suits. Boys after breeching might wear a skeleton suit with a short jacket or a tunic. Older boys would wear clothes styled more like adults, but with long trousers rather than the knee breeches that gentlemen still wore in the 1800s and 1810s. One special juvenile suit style appearing in the early 19th century was the Eton suit. The Eton suit had a short jacket. We see many images of boys in the early 19th century wearing short jackets which seem to be related to Eton jackets. One example is a drawing showing an American boy at President Jackson's inaguration in 1829. Boys began wearing the modern style of jackets and trousers in the 1830s as skeleton suits began to decline in popularity.

Mid-19th Century (1840-70)

Young boys still wore dresses. Affter breeching, quite young boys at mid-century might wear a jacket after breeching, at first mostly with long trousers. There were endless variation of this theme, centering on the style of the jacket and by the 1860s the length of the pants. During the early 19th century they might commonly wear tunics after breeching before acquiring a suit. Early suit jackets were not well fitted. They commonly did not have lapels and buttoned at the collar. Some jackets for younger boys appeared with fancy embroiderd design and were cut short to show off the boys' blouse. Queen Victoria popularized the sailor suit as a boy's outfit when she began dressing the princes in enlistedmens' uniforms. Older boys wore jackets that completely covered their shirtwaists. The Eton suit was becoming increasingly popular in England as was a more casual new style the Norfolk suit.

Late 19th Century (1870-1900)

Young boys still wore dresses in the late 19th century, although specialized boy dresses apeeared in the 1870s. After mid-century some new styles of boys suits appeared became very popular. Perhaps the most common late 19th century boys' suit was the sailor suit. The sailor suit, which had been introduced in the 1840s, was wildly popular in the late 19th century, even in countries with no navies. Many suits worn by boys in the late 19th century were quite plain, others like the Fauntleroy suit unbelievably fancy for a boy. The Fauntleroy suit may stand for all time as the most unsuitable garment erver designed for the small, and in some cases, not sdo smasll boy. Older boys wore Eton and Norfolk suits as well as many new variants like the Suffolk suit. Suits often included a vest or waistcoat. Boys of different ages might be dressed identically. More commonly older boys wore different suits with adult styling. Boys closer in age might have minor stylistic differences made in the same suits.

Figure 3.--These American (New York) twins wear identical Norfolk suits with kneepants and long woolen stockings. Notice the boys' straw hats. The photograph was probably taken in the 1890s.

The Early 20th Century (1900-18)

The fashion of dressing young boys in dresses declined, especially in the 1910s. Younger boys might wear outfits like a tunic suit in a variety of styles (Buster Brown, Russian, or sailor) rather than a formal suit with a suit jacket. Many suit styles from the late 19th century persisted in the early 20th century. The dominate styles was the Norfolk jacket, although modern-looking single and double breasted jackets were also worn. Formal events might require an Eton suit.

The Inter-war and War Years (1919-45)

Jacket styles were adopted in the inter-war years that look decidedly contemporary to our modern eye. Minor changes in lapel sizes or detailing might occure, but by the 1920s the basic double breasted and single breasted suit as well as the blazer were well established. The sailor suit had declined in popularity, although this varied from country to country. In America the juvenile Eton suit for small boys had appeared. Boys still war suits much more commonly than today, but especially in America boys began to attend school and wear much more casual clothes for day to day wear.

Figure 4.--Madras jackets for were popular for boys of all ages in the 1950s and 1960s. Some younger boys wore then with short pants and kneesocks.

The Post-war Years (1945-69)

The single breasted suit was clearly established as the rimary suit style worn by boys. Double breasted suits were still quite commn in the 1940s,m but declined in popularity during the 1950s, but never quite disappeating. The navy blazer emerged as a boy's fashion standard. Grey suits were standard in England, black or navy suits inAmerica. Sports jackets worn with short or long pants became increasingly acceptable for boys to wear, even to formal occasions. Madras jackets were popular in the 1950s-60s. Lapels were quite wide in the 1950s, but narrow considerably in the 1960s. The wearing of suits declined markedly in the post-war era. The Paris Student Riots in 1968 was a seminal event in shiting youth attitudes, attitudes which were soon reflected in fashion.

The Late 20th Century (1970-99)

Suit styles did not change much from those worn in the post-war era. The major change was that suits were avoided as much as possible. Moms often had a struggle to get a boy into a blazer, let along a suit. This was especially true in America, but by the 1980s most European boys had adopted the same attitudes. A variety of non-standard styles like the Mao and Nehru jackets appeared in the 1970s, but were never very popular for boys. Most boys, however wore standard single-breasted coats, sport jackets, and blazers. The double-brasted coat was still worn. Although not as common as single breasted coats, it was considered by many to be stylish. Younger American boys continued to wear suits loosely based on the Eton style.