Figure 1.-- This CDV of an unidentified boy in Scarborough was taken at the Sarony studio--a prestigiousEnglish studio. It is undated, but the rustic prop (tree stump) and plain background suggests the 1870s. He wears a velvet sack suit with lapels. Notice the different materialused for the lapels decoration on the knee pants. The 1870s is the omly dcade in which we se large numbers of boys wearing these decorated pants. Given the clothing and prominance of the photographer, we would guess that he came from a wealthy family. A reader asks, "How old would you guess the boy is?" He seems a bit older than most boys we have seen wearing fancy suits. I'd guess about 10 years old or perhaps older. A reader writes, "I agree about his age being older than most boys wearing the garb. He looks quite grown up to me. I suggest he might be 11 or 12. He has a very mature face."

We see all kinds of different suits and various suit garments in the 1870s. Headwear was commonly worn in the 1870s, but we do not see headwear matching the suits during the decade. There was a range of jacket type and styles. We see fewer cut-away jackets in the 1870s and more sack suits with lapels. Some of the lapels were very large and set very high. The suits for younger boys might have extensive embroidery and other decoration such as aplique on both the jacket and pants. We note single-breasted styling. There were a range of different styles. Clothing was more varied in the years before ready-made clothing became standard. The lapels and buttoning arrangements could be quite varied. Vests were very common. Most boys wore long pants with suits. Younger boys might wear suits with knee pants or knickers. Some of the knickers had full (baggy) cuts. The pants were often decorated with stripes and other detailing, matching the decoration on the jackets. While the higly decorated outfits were most common for the younger boys, we stripes were very common even for older teenagers. Younger boys might have horizontal band on the shortened-length pants and/or elabort embroidery. Some younger boys had velvet suits. This was an expensive fabric for the well-to-do. Flannel was a popular fabric. We note the boys earing long stockings. Whit stockings were popular in the 1860s and we still see them in the early-70s.

Suit Types

We see all kinds of different suits and various suit garments in the 1870s. The type of suit was largely determined by the style of the jacket. There was a range of jacket type and styles. We continue to see collar-buttoning jackets. We see fewer cut-away jackets in the 1870s and more sack suits with lapels. A good example is a rather modern-looking single breasted lapel jacket worn by George Francis Underhill. His multi-buttoned vest looks les modern. We see some novelty styles, mostly using cut away jackets for younger boys. The sack suits were highly varied. We note some of the jackets with lapels were very large and commonly set very high. Notice the lapels here, not only were they large and set high, but they were done in a different material.

Garments

The basic garments of a suit are jacket , vest, and pants. The type of suit is primarily determined by the jacket styles. In the 1870s we see cut-away jacket suits, sack suits with lapels, anf frock suit ith longer jackets. Cut-way jackets mostly came with vests. We see boys up to about 10-years of age wearing them and were even more common for slightly younger boys. We note both plain ones and and heavily decorated ones. They were still quite common atthe beginningb ifthe decade, but less so by the end of the deade. As the cut-away jacket was a style for younger boys, they often, but not always were done with shortened-length pants. We note noth knickers and knee pants. The knickers seem the most common. Lapels and buttoning arrangements could be quite varied. Vests were very common. Most boys wore long pants with suits. Younger boys might wear suits with knee pants or knickers, but most boys by about 10-years of age were wearing long pants, many even younger. Some of the knickers had full (baggy) cuts. The knee pants were often done with wide legs. The pants were often decorated with stripes and other detailing, matching the decoration on the jackets.

Associated Garments

Headwear was commonly worn in the 1870s, but we do not see headwear matching the suits during the decade. We note generally small collars and the appearance of bows. Collars were larger than in the 1860s, but we do not see the huge collars that became so popular in the 1880s. The bows were optional, but the ones we see are much smaller than in the 80s. We note the boys mostly wearing long stockings. White stockings were popular in the 1860s and we still see them in the early-70s. We see stripoed or banded multi-colored long stockings throughout the decade..

Decoration

We note an interesting shift in the suits for younger boys in the 1870s. A lot of the suits for boys during the 1860s were rekatively plain. We notice that many of the suits for younger boys might have elaborate decoration during the 1870s. e do not have enough dated images to know precisely when this change occurred. We can say that we note many plain suits in the 1860s and many elaborately dcorated suits in the 1870s. We see the same trnd in merica as well. Presumbly the fashion was set in Englnd. The decortion might include extensive embroidery and other decoration such as aplique and stripes on the jacket, Interstingly, these decorations were so popular that we also notice them on the pants. As far as we can tell, this is the only decade in which highly decorated pants were popular. This decoration was much more common than on the suits we see in either the 60s or 80s, but we are not saying of course that in began in 1870 and ended in 1880. Suits in the 80s may seem more elaborate, but this is bcause of the fancy blouses and bows, not the actual suit garments. Clothing was more varied in the years before ready-made clothing became standard. While the highly decorated outfits were most common for the younger boys, decorative vertical stripes were very common on the outer pants keg -- a mikitary touch. This issen even for older teenagers. Younger boys might have horizontal bands on the shortened-length pants and/or elaborate embroidery.

Material

We have only limited information on fabrics and matril. This is diifficult to assess from the photographic record. Some younger boys had velvet suits. This was an expensive fabric for the well-to-do. And it is often easy to assess fom a photograph. Flannel was a popular fabric.

Created: 5:43 AM 5/9/2009
Last updated: 8:43 PM 12/4/2012