Figure 1.--This tin-type portrait has no accompaning information. The portrait of an unidentified boy was almost certainly taken in the 1870s. He is wearing an all-white outfit. At first we thought it was a tunic outfit. As it is an all-white outfit, it is a little difficult to tell, but we finally decided it looks like a blouse and white pants--notice the pants waistline. A reader writes, "I think I see the waistband top of the knee pants and the buttons that attach it to the blouse. The stockings are striped which in the 1870s was rather new and so more expensive. I remember on a house tour in Beauford South Carolina (the tour guide) speaking of it." We think the striped (banded) were new in America durung the 70s, but appeared earlier in Europe. Pantalettes as far as we know were never worn with just blouses. We see them wih tunics, but not with just a blouse. Notice the eyelet lace used on both the blouse and pants. We thought that they might have been described as pantalettes, but by the 70s pantalettes were motly worn as a kind of underwear rather than pants/trousers. Mom has added coordinated white stocking with thin bands.

Suit decorations like embroidery, frogging, piping, striping, and other elements were mostly on the jackets. But we see some some decoration on the pants/trousers as well. The primry decoration we see are a narrow verical stripe, but these were not the only decoration, especially in the 1870s when decoration was the most common. We also see embroidery, commonly matching emrroidery on the jacket. We note lace being used, but this was not very common. The elaborate decorations we have found date mostly to the 1870s. This was true of both the jackets and the pants. We see some decoration during the 60s and 80s. but the 70s was by far the most common decade. This is interesting as we see very plain jackets and pants with little decoration in the 1860s. What caused such a sharp fashion shift we have no idea. We are guessing changes in Europe were primarily responsible, but we have no real idea at this time. By the 80s we see fewer such decorations. The decorations we have found are mostly on Little Lord Fauntleroy suits--almost all done with knee pants. The decorations are not always immedately apparent as they were usually dark-colored embroidery done on dark suits. There were decorations on knickers and long pants, but we see them on knee pants more than other pants type. This was especially true of the most extensive decoration meaning embroidery.

Types

Suit decoration varied widely. Some suits had none at all. Most had very little. With other suits we note many varied kinds of decoration. It seems that decorative elements were most commpn pnsuits for younger boys. This includes embroidery, frogging, piping, ruffles, striping, and other elements. We have found exanples of all these different decoration types in the anple photographic record. We note lace being used such the outfit the boy here is wearing (figure 1). This was, however, not very common. These decorations were mostly on the jackets. But we see some decoration on the pants/trousers as well. Usually this was a reduced version of the jacket decoration. This was not as common as the decoration on the jackets, but we do see it. The primry decoration on trousers was a narrow vertical stripe, but this was most common on long trousers. They were not the only decoration, especially in the 1870s when decoration was the most common. Knee pants were he most heavily decorated pants, on part because knee pants were becomng popular for younger boys when the fashion of heavily decorating suits became especually popular. Not all of the jacket decoration was carried over onto the pants, but we do see some of this. We also see embroidery, commonly matching emrroidery on the jacket.

Chronology

The elaborate decorations we have found date mostly to the 1870s. This was true of both the jackets and the pants. We see some decoration during the 60s and 80s. but the 70s was by far the most common decade. This is interesting as we see very plain jackets and pants with little decoration in the 1860s. What caused such a sharp fashion shift in the 1870s we have no idea. We are guessing changes in Europe were primarily resoinsible, but we have no real idea at this time. By the 80s we see fewer such decorations. The decorations we have found are mostly on Little Lord Fauntleroy suits--almost all done with knee pants (1880s-90s).

Color

The decorations such as the stripes were often whiteso they would stnd out. This was not lwats the case, foe example th decorations on hite suits. Here they culd be various colors. And they were ot always immedately apparent as they were usually dark-colored embroidery done on dark suits. This we do not understand ay all. Why do expensive dark-colored embroidery on dark suits that can barely be seen. There were decorations on knickers and long pants, but we see them on knee pants more than other pants type. This was especially true of the most extensive decoration meaning embroidery.

Created: 9:05 PM 8/26/2016
Last updated: 2:27 PM 8/27/2016