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This is a garment that we had only vaguely heard of before, a tucker. This was a garment made from a fine cloth or lace worn over the neck and shoulders. It was primarily a garment for girls and women, but was also worn by younger boys not yet breached. Butterick offered a tucker pattern on its page of boys' outfits in 1876. Butterick marketed this tucker in both New York and London.
Butterick was founded by Ebeneezer Butterick, a taylor in Stirling, Massachusetts during the Civil War in 1863. He revolutionized the home sewing when he created graded sewing pattern. The inspiration was his wife Ellen who complained that it would be eassier to sew with a pattern. . We do not yet have any of the earliest patterns. We do have a 1900 pattern for a 1900 fancy Fauntleroy blouse. The company continues to be a major force in home and still offers patterns for home sewing. The company in itspromotional literature says that it continues to lead the way in make-it-yourself fashions. I'm not sure just when Butterick began marketing patterns.
Butterick marketed these bibs in both New York and London. The fashions I believe are American, but at the time American fashions were very strongly influenced by English fashion. I think the reason that Butterick was selling the patterns in England is not that the fashions were particularly appealing, but that England at the time did not have such useful patterns ad sewing instructions.
This is a garment that we had only vaguely heard of before, a tucker. I'm not sure quite how to archive this. I thought perhaps neckwear, but believe that the collar section may be the more appropriate section. This was a garment made from a fine cloth or lace worn over the neck and shoulders. It was primarily a garment for girls and women, but was also worn by younger boys not yet breached. It seems to be a garment that appeared in the 18th century. It may have been the precursor of the pinafore. I have not noted a lot of boys wearing these, but I did not quite understand just what this was and therefore may not have noticed them. It came to be used in the expression "best bib and tucker", meaning one's best clothes.
Butterick offered a tucker pattern on its page of boys' outfits in 1876. It was a very fancy garment with lace trim and embroidery. It's a little difficult to tell because the image is not very detailed. The Butterick tucker was dione in seven sizes from age 1/2 to 6 years. This was basically the age rage for wearing dresses and kilt suits.
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