Figure 1.--This CDV portrait is unidentified. All we know is that the boy is American. We believe the portrait was taken in the early 1870s. (The fact that there is no studio logos is an indicator that it is an 1860s or early 70s portrait.) I am not sure how to classify this suit, but note the many elements of military styling. Also note the matching tam that the boy is holding. It has a colored pom. I'm not sure about the color, but would guess that it was red. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.Image courtesy of the PH collection.

Some suits came with matching caps. Most did not, but a matching cap was seen as stylish. We haven't seen matching hats, but we have seen matcing caps in various styles. The matching caps were made in the same material and color as the suit. We notice some 19th century suits for younger boys with matching caps of various styles. Tams seem to have been popular. We also see Glengaries, but there were many other styles. Normally boys did not wear their caps for formal portraits. Thus our information is limited. Some boys did wear their caps and in many other cases the caps and other headwear are placed in the portrait. We suspect that this was especially common if it was a matching suit cap. Notice the boy here holding a matching tam (figure 1). We also see matching caps in the 20th century. A matching peaked cap worn with an Eton or other styled suit was popular during the mid-20th century. A suit with a matching cap was especially popular with affluent families. portraits.

Matching Headwear

Some boys' suits came with matching caps. Most did not, but a matching cap was seen as stylish by many. The popularity of this conventioned varied substantially from family to familyWe haven't seen matching hats, but the photographic record shows a number of mathcing caps in various styles. The matching caps were made in the same material and color as the suit. We notice some 19th century suits for younger boys with matching caps of various styles. Tams seem to have been popular. We also see Glengaries, but there were many other styles that were made to match boy's suits. We also see some done n the 20th century, but a more narrow range of styles. Matching caps was normally a style made for younger boys. Older boys did not commonly have matching caps and were more likely to wear hats instead of caps. A suit with a matching cap seems to have been especially popular with affluent families.

Non-matching Headwear

Boys wore both caps and hats with suits. Normally it was caps that were made to match suits. Hats were worn with suits, but they normally did nit match. Non-matching caps came in an even wider sortment of styles than matching caps. . Normally boys did not wear their caps for formal portraits. Thus our information is limited. Some boys did wear their caps and in many other cases the caps and other headwear are placed in the portrait. We suspect that this was especially common if it was a matching suit cap. Notice the boy here holding a matching tam (figure 1).

Chronology

We see a range of caps and hats worn with suits in both the 19th and 20th centuries. The convention of wearing headwear was very pronounced in the 19th century. Headwear was seen as an important part of an outfit. This was still common in the early 20th century, but became much less common in the second half of the century. There was quite a range of headwear worn with suits in the 19th century. A matching peaked cap worn with an Eton or other styled suit was popular during the mid-20th century.

Age

The same age convention associated with caps and hats also affected the headwear worn with suits.

Created: 9:33 PM 1/30/2006
Last updated: 5:25 AM 5/3/2006