Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows a boy about 7-8 yers old wearing a button-on suit. It is a very plain suit with only some trim, perhaps velvet, on the wrist cuffs, The portrait was probably taken in the late 1860s. The boy seemns to be wearing a shirt-waist underneath, you can see the collarless top of the shirt-waist at the top. Note the boy's cap. I'm not sure what it was called, but was the peaked cap popular in the 1830s-50s. The Photographer was J.D. Crane in Holyoke, Masschusetts.

These button-on outfits were two-pice suits. The two basic elements were the top and bottpm. This included tops and bottoms that matches and others that were only coordinated. We notice these suits done in a number of styles which varied significantly over time. Both the tops and bottoms varied. The tops as far as can tell were always long sleeves until after World War I. We are unsure what the tops were called in the 19th century. While they might be called shirts, the first suits we see in the early 1960s were made with the same heavy material as the pants, a heavier material than normally used for shirts. These tops seem nore like jckets than shirts. Only later do we see boys wearing tops in lighter material that look more like shirts and blouses. We are not exactly sure what the boys wore under the tops. Some portraits show the collar of what looks to be short waists. Other photographs show small collars. And in other instance the tops button at the top without showing any shirt underneath. The bottoms also varied. We notice both long pants, knee pants and bloomer knickers. Later in the 20th century we see short pants as well. The type of pants do not seem to have age connotations as these button-on suits were all worn by younger boys. Button on suits were a practical way of supporting the pnts of youn boys without prominent waists. We notice some of the headwear in the portraits. There does not seem to have been any headwear specifically associated with these suits, but the portraits do show some of the popular styles worn with them in the 1860s.

Types of Suits

These button-on outfits were two-pice suits although this is often desguised by waistband covering the connecting buttons. . The two basic elements were the top and bottpm. There were two different kinds of button-on suits. First there were suits with tops and bottoms that matched, using the same color and material. Second were suits that were only coordinated and were made in different material. We notice these suits done in a number of styles which varied significantly over time. Both the tops and bottoms varied.

Tops

The tops of these button-on suits were done in a variety of styles. Commonly they buttoned or were closed at the top, but even so there were many variants. As as far as can tell the tops were always long sleeves until after World War I. Girls might have short sleeve dresses, but boys had long sleve tops. We are unsure what the tops were called in the 19th century. While they might be called shirts or blouses, the first suits we see in the early 1860s were made with the same heavy material as the pants, a heavier material than normally used for shirts. They by definition were not jackets becaise to pants had to button on to them. These tops seem more like jackets than shirts because they were made with suitinbg material, but they were not jackets independent of the pants. Only later do we see boys wearing button-on tops in lighter material that look more like shirts and blouses.

Shirts

We are not exactly sure what the boys wore under the tops. Some portraits show the collar of what looks to be shirt waists. The collars differeed and included ruffles or two sided collars like Eton and Peter Pan collars. They were usually quite small. We commonly see just a bit of the collar and not just the shirt itself. We also see many instances of not shirt collar at all. As far as we can tell here there was not shirt underneath, but as the jackt was done in suiting material, there must have been a shirt, presumably a shirtwaist. And we assume an undershirt of some kind.

Bottoms

The bottoms also varied. Boys wore various kinds of pants with these suits. This varied over time, depending in the changing [opularity and convententions associated with the different pants types. We notice both long pants, knee pants and bloomer knickers. The type of pants do not seem to have age connotations as these button-on suits were all worn by younger boys. Later in the 20th century we see short pants as well. After World War I these button-on suits were called shorts sets or less commonlu long sets. These might be called suits in the sence that the byyoms and tops were coordinated, but they were mostly not suits in the sence of dressy clothes. Some were dressy outfits to be worn at weddingls or othe soecial events, but these were not as common as the short sets worn for everyday wear. We also begin to see knicker-length pants as well as knee pants.

Accompanying Clothes

We notice some of the headwear in the portraits. There does not seem to have been any headwear specifically associated with these suits, but the portraits do show some of the popular styles worn with them in the 1860s.

Created: 3:44 AM 8/17/2008
Last updated: 8:11 AM 9/26/2014