Figure 1.--"Song of the South" is a beautiful film and it s a shame that political correctness prevents it from being shown. There are, however, some problems with the costuming which seems more appropriste to the 1890s than the immesate post-Civil War era. Here Johnny has throiwn his lace collsar on the ground. Large lace collsars like thisd did not appear until the 1880s.

Johnny wears a velvet knee pants suit with white stockings. He wears his velvet suit with a lace collar. He was not happy about having to wear the lace collar. Johnny did not appear for larger periods of the film. The heart of the film was the wonderfully animated animal stories. Johnny also wore a sailor suit. I'm not sure precisely what year the film was set in, its been many years since I saw it. Presumably about 1890. I notice one source refers to the ante-bellum (pre-Civil War) era. This would mean before 1861-65. If so there are some serious problems with the costuming. Even if ot is sfter the War, the costuming seems a little more like the 1880s than the 60s. The forest green kneepants velvet suit Johnny wears does seem to be a fairly standard suit such as was worn in the 1880s snd 90s. Note that it is a collar buttoning suit which covers up the front. Johnny's lace collar played a part in the film. He didn't like it, especially after other boys started teasing him. The choice of white stockings is interesting. It was much more common to wear dark stockings at the time. Children still in dresses and girls were the most likely to wear long stockings. Johnny also wears a light-blue sailor suit which he liked more than his velvet suit. The sailor suit notably has trim with only two stripes. This definitely was not a style worn in the 1860s or even the 70s. Johnny's little friend Ginny (Luanaa Patten) wears a pinafore. These don;t show up much in the actual photgraphic record because girls dressed up for formal stufio portraits.

Velvet Suit

The forest green kneepants velvet suit Johnny wears does seem to be a fairly standard suit such as was worn in the 1880s snd 90s. Note that it is a collar buttoning suit which covers up the front. Traditional velvet suits had very small jackets worn open or with one button to display a fancy lace and ruffled blouse. These were common in the 1880s. The collar button jacket became popular in the 1890s and could be worn with a pin on lace collar as Johnny wore. I think such outfits were more common with boys' from a middle class family that had to be somewhat careful with expenditures, but this requires more confirmation. One question is whether he would have been dressed in his best velvet suit and lace collar as place clothes. I think this would have been unlikely, but am not sure what the rich son of a plantation owner would have worn during an ordinary day.

Lace Collar

Johnny's lace collar played a part in the film. He didn't like it, especially after other boys started teasing him. When the rough farm boys see Johnny in his lace-collared velvet suit they shout out, "Where did you get those funny looking clothes? Look at that lace collar! Look at the little girlie wearing a lace collar!" Poor Johnny is mortified.

White Stockings

The choice of white stockings is interesting. It was much more common to wear dark stockings at the time. Children still in dresses and girls were the most likely to wear long stockings. Boys in white sailor suits also might wear white stockings on dressy occasions. It was rare, however, to see boys in Fauntleroy suits wearing white stockings until the turn of the century. Almost all of the boys wearing Fauntleroy suits or similar fancy velvet suits in the 1880s and 90s wore them with dark colored stockings, often dark shades matching the color of the velvet suit.

Sailor Suit

Johnny also wears a light-blue sailor suit which he liked more than his velvet suit. The sailor suit notably has trim with only two stripes. This definitely was not a style worn in the 1860s or even the 70s. Most suits by the 1890s were usually made with trim of three stripes. A proper sailor suit would have had the three stripes.

Pinafores

Johnny's little friend Ginny (Luanaa Patten) wears a pinafore. These don;t show up much in the actual photgraphic record because girls dressed up for formal stufio portraits.

Shoes

Johnny wears patent leather shoes with out a strap. This was not very common. Almost all of the low-cut shoes we note for younger children had straps, often two or three straps.

Created: 8:53 AM 3/5/2010
Last updated: 8:53 AM 3/5/2010