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We notice button-on outfits done in many different styles. This varied chronologically. We see both dressy oufits and in the 20th century play suits. The skeleton suit was the first example of button-on styling we notice. We have relatively little information on American skeleton suits. As far as we can tell, they were essentially the same as the ones being worn in Britain, but it was a generalized European style. We believe they were worn into the 1830s. We do not see much in the way of button-on outfits in the early photography of the 1840s and 1850s. Clothing details are often indestincr in early photographs, especilly the 1840s Daguerreotypes. Tunic type outfits seem to dominate. With the 1860s we see a varietyy of outfits that look rather like jump suits. They were button on matching shirt-like tops and pants. We do not know how they were described at the time. They do not look much like button-on suits because the style for some reason was to cover over the buttons with a kind of matching waist piece. We see these outfits in the 1870s as well. Button-on styling was less common in the late 19th century. We see a variety of button-on oufits in the early-20th century, beginning in the 1910s. Many were Oliver Twisrt suits. We also see sailor suits, some of which might be included in the Oliver Twist category. We see a variety of shorts sets dome as button-on outfits after World War I in the 1920s and 30s. These were more casual outfits. The shirts and pants did not match, but were done with coordinated colors. We also see fancy blouses and pants, usually shorts in the 20th century. These were often done for yiunger boys attending formal events like weddings.
We see little boys up to bout 7-8 years old wearing blouses with button holles ro support pants. The blouse outfirs are often dressy for specialoccassions. They are often done with short pants, but not always.
We also see fancy blouses and pants, usually shorts in the 20th century. These were often done for younger boys attending formal events like weddings.
Button-on styling was less common in the late 19th century. We see a variety of button-on oufits in the early-20th century, beginning in the 1910s. Many were Oliver Twisrt suits. We also see sailor suits, some of which might be included in the Oliver Twist category. We do not know a great deal about Oliver Twist suits. They were outfits for younger boys that appeard at about the time that the Fauntleroy suit went out of style. There is not a lot written about them, but the term was commonly used in period ctalogs. The were primarily worn by pre-school age boys during the 1910s and 20s. The term Oliver Twist probably derives from the fact that these were button-on outfits, a style popular during the 19th century era in which the Dickens novel is set. At least that is the only common feature we note in the Oliver Twist outfts offered in catalogs. Other features such as sleeves, collars, and detailing varied widely. Very large collars were popular with many of these suits. String ties with tassels wee another popular feature. These suits were generally offered in sizes up to 4 or 5 years old, occassionally a bit older, but this was not very common. They were done in a wide variety of colors. This was a style for boys only.
We see many boys wearing button-on sailor suits. This was a style for younger boys and a way of holding up the pants. They were mostly done with knee pants, shirt pants and knickers. The image here is a good example (figure 1). This was not an exclusively American style, but the style seems more popular in American than any other country. This was a major style for boys. We see suspenders mpre commonly used in Europe. Suspenders were also used in America, but were not neatly as common for younger boys in America and were not used for sailor suits. The buttons were commonly used in the styling, but even if large white front buttons are not used, the styling is obvious because the blouses do not blouse out. We believe that these primarily appeared during the 1910s. We are, however, still working on the precise chronology. Button-on styling itself did nor originate in the 1910s. We see button on suits in the 1860s, but on a lot of button-on sailor suits. Sailor blouses which bloused out using waist draw cords seem particularly popular for sailor suits. We are just befinning to collect information on them. The image here is a good example (figure 1). These outfits were very common for younger boys. We see large numbers of these button-on suits. Sailor suits were just one of these styles done with button-on styling. Buster Brown suits were also dobe with button-styling. We see the suits donr for pre-school boys up to about 10-years of age. Generally speaking, the sailor suits were done in sizes to about 8-years of age. There were both summer and winter suits.
We do not see much in the way of button-on outfits in the early photography of the 1840s and 1850s. It is, however, not always easy to tell. Clothing details are often indestinct in early photographs, especilly the 1840s Daguerreotypes. Some of the shirts seem to be done as button-on shirts, but it difficult to tell in many imazges.
We see a variety of shorts sets dome as button-on outfits after World War I in the 1920s and 30s. These were more casual outfits. The shirts and pants did not match, but were done with coordinated colors. We see quite a number of American boys wearing button-on shorts during the inter-War era (1920s-30s and into the 40s). Button-on shorts did not disappear, but by the 60s were worn by pre-school boys. It seems to have become a style especially popular for dressy outfits. Button-on styles were not novel. They appeard with the skeleton suits worn in the early-19th century. Short opants were, howwever, relatively new in the 1920s. Earlier boy wore knee pants.
The skeleton suit was the first example of button-on styling we notice. The skeleton suit was the first decicated boy's outfit. Before the appearnce of the sketon suit, boys ore after breeching small-scale versions of their father's outfits. We have relatively little information on American skeleton suits. As far as we can tell, they were essentially the same as the ones being worn in Britain, but it was a generalized European style. We note American boys wearing skeleton suits. America at the tiome of course was a fashion backwater. Affluent families in America primarily just followed popular styles in Europe, primarily England and France. The population of America was very small at the time. The population in cities, where boys from fashionable families were most likely to wear skeleton suits, was especially small. A good example is Charles Mosley in 1791. His bright red velvet skeleton suit looks just like the ones by European boys from affluent families. We note an unidentified boy painted about 1810. We believe they were worn into the 1830s.
We see many two-piece button-on outfits that were done with tunic styling. Above the waistline they look like tunics. Many done in the 1870s hav the characteristic diagonal styling. We see many of these tunic-styled to-pice syits. The tunic of course was a sinle garment alowthing commonly done with matching pants, usually boomer knickers. With the 1860s we see a varietyy of outfits that look rather like jump suits. They were button on matching shirt-like tops and pants. We do not know how they were described at the time. They do not look much like button-on suits because the style for some reason was to cover over the buttons with a kind of matching waist piece. We see these outfits in the 1870s as well. These are the two pirce suits described in detailing. Here we are tlking about the ones where the topps re styled just like the tops of tunic outfits. We suspect that some mothers my have used the tunic topsin sewing the to pirce uits. We can not, owever, confirm this yet.
We are not sure what the proper name for these button-on suits is. Nor do we know what they were called in the 1860s when they were most common. They were probably just referred to as suits, meaning the shirt or top matched the pants. We assume that the style was a European import, but are information is still quite linited. We are not entirely about the chronology of these button-on suits. We see them in the 1860s, but are unsure about the 50s and 70s at this time. We have a fairly good collection from both decaded and we do not see these suits being worn very commonly. We have found quite a number of CDV portraits from the 1860s. Most are undated, but look like the 1860s. The early CDVs from the 60s are quite destinctive. They look rather like one-piece suits, but I believe they were two pieces that buttoned to gether. They were suits in the sence that the top matched the bottom, but there was no jacket. Rather the top was a shirt liked top to which the pants buttoned. The suits were often decorated with piping, embroidery, and buttons. We do not, however, notice the elaborate decoration that became popular in the 1880s. While many of these suits were done with decorative trim, we also notice plain suits with limited decoration.We are not sure about the colors. We notice these suits done in a number of styles. Both the tops and pants varied. We notice both long pants and bloomer knickers. We are not yet sure about the age conventions. We do see younger school age boys wearing these suits, but I suspect that they were not all that common at school.
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