Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait is undated and we are jist beginning to make chronological assessmens. We would guess it was taken abour 1900, but we are not at all sure. The unidentified boy looks to be about 9-10 years old. He wears a dark blouse top and floppy blouse with bloomer knickers--a popular style at the time. The blouse has verical vents rather like Norfolk styling in jackets. Notice the wide belt. He has socks rather than long stockings which were usually worn in America. He is pictured with a hoop and stick. The portrait is unusual in that it was not taken in a studio, but outdoors against a non-descript wall. The studio is not identified on the card mount, suggesting he may have been a street photographer.

We have not yet been able to develope information on French shirts and shirt-like garments. We note a range of different garments and styles. Our information on the 19th century is especially limited. We do have information on the blouses worn by younger boys. Younger boys for formal occasions might wear suspender romper bottoms or suspender shorts with a fancy blouse. There were also button-styles. As girls mostly wore dresses, these fancy blouses were worn by boys. Fancy blouses for formal occassions were very popular through the 1960s, but since the 1970s have declined in importance. They were commonly made in sizes to about age 7, but some older boys also wore them. Today blouses are mostly worn by girls. We have also some done some work on collars. There were quite a range of different styles. French boys wore Eton collars, but not as commonly as in England. We also note Peter Pan collars, but believe this collar was more common on blouses as well as other garments like rompers and smocks.

Specific Garments

We have not yet been able to develope information on French shirt-like garments. The most important are shirts and blouses, but there are also shirt waists. We note a range of different garments styles. Our information on the 19th century is especially limited. We do have information on the blouses worn by younger boys. Younger boys for formal occasions might wear suspender romper bottoms or suspender shorts with a fancy blouse. There were also button-styles. As girls mostly wore dresses, these fancy blouses were worn by boys. Fancy blouses for formal occassions were very popular through the 1960s, but since the 1970s have declined in importance. They were commonly made in sizes to about age 7, but some older boys also wore them. Today blouses are mostly worn by girls. Older boys wore shirts also done in many different styles. Shirt waists were another shirt-like garment. They were worn with detachable collars.

Chronology

We have just begun gto build our chronology of French short like-pgarments. We ahve no infotmation agt this gtime on the early-19th century. Only with the advent of photography do we begin to see waht kinf of shirt-like garments French boys were wearing. Commercial photography was invented in France by Louis Daguerre (1839). Unfortunately we do not see many examples of French Daguerrotypes (1840s-50s). Thus makes it difficult to assess French trends at mid-century. We do have a lot of Americans Dags and Ambros from this period. And we see a lot of boys wearing long-sleeved blouses without jackets. Whether this trend was also common in France we do not know. We note some fashions were shared in the major European countries and America. This is somthing we are just beginning to assess. Only with the CDV do we begin to see large numbers of images in France and other European countries (1860s). Only many of the boys in the formal studio portait of the day are wearing jackers, making it sufficult ti see the shirts and blouses which they are wearing underneath. his is especially true because collar-buttoning suit jackets were popular for boys. We are beginning to acquire some images. We note some boys wearing blouses. We note some that look to be done like tucked in tunic. We note bothers wearing striped tunic-look blouses (1870s). French boys began wearing smocks to school (1870s). This further complicates our assessment. Unlike Italian boys, French boys generally wore their shirt collars under ther smocks. We believe at this time that French shirts and blouses were similar to those in America and Britain. We note Fauntlroy blouses (1880s and 90s). They wee not as elaborate or as popular as in America, but we do see them. We also see Eton collar, but these were mostly detachable collars, not Eton blouses. And they wee not ascommon as in Britain. After World War I we begin to see younger boys wearing fancy blouses, some with short slleves and even puffed slaeave bloss. This continued into the 1950s after World War II.

Collars

We have also some done some work on collars. Some collars were part of the shirt and stylistically usually the most important element. This was especially the case in the 19th century when men and boys commonly wore suit jackets and vests which covered up the shirts. Often the only part of a blouse or shirt that could be seem was the collar. They often determined the style of the shirt or blouse. Other collars were detachable. There were quite a range of different styles. Some of the ruffled collars were huge. French boys wore Eton collars, but not as commonly as in England. Lace and ruffled collars were worn with Fauntleroy suits. Some of the ruffled collars were huge. We also note Peter Pan collars, but believe this collar was more common on blouses as well as other garments like rompers and smocks. For many years one of the most popular collars was the sailor collar.

Gender

Age Trends

Created: 12:23 AM 8/31/2010
Last updated: 5:49 PM 11/10/2014