Figure 1.--Here we see the jacket to this brown corduroy suit. Notice the collar and detailing. Images like this help to assess the colors of the garments in the historic black and white photographs used on HBC. Click on the image to see the inside of the jacket.

This suit was a corduroy kneepants suit. It is a brown suit that has some resemblance to a Fauntleroy suit. The jacket cut has some relation to a Fauntleroy jacket, but is not because it has a collar. Fauntleroy jackets had no collar to interfere with the elaborate collars often worn with them. Corduroy was not a fabric used in proper Fauntleroy suits. It was a relatively inexpensive fabric while velvet was an expensive fabric. Corduroy was meant to be durabble and a popular fabric for schoolwear. The suit is heavily embroidered.

Chronolgy

We do not know when this suit was made, but would guess the 1900s.

Location

The suit was made in America.

Description

I am not sure what this suit would have been called in contemporary catalogs. This suit was a corduroy kneepants suit. It is a brown suit that has some resemblance to a Fauntleroy suit. The jacket cut has some relation to a Fauntleroy jacket, but is not because it has a collar. Fauntleroy jackets had no collar to interfere with the elaborate collars often worn with them. White Fauntleroy suits did not have collars, the shapr of the jacket and the fact that it was to be worn open, secured only at the collar was how Fauntleroy jackets were worn.

Details

The suit is heavily embroidered. The suit has bric-a-brac trim around each cuff, on the collar, bordering the entire edge of the jacket and on the sides of each pant leg (figure ?). There are no buttons on the jacket and it never had any.

Figure 2.-- Here we see the trim on the collar hich was partially damaged. Click on the image to see the sleece cuff trim.

Material

Corduroy was not a fabric used in proper Fauntleroy suits. It was a relatively inexpensive fabric while velvet was an expensive fabric. Corduroy was meant to be durabble and a popular fabric for schoolwear. The owner selling the suit describes the material as "brown velvet". We are not sure what that mean. We think it just means corduroy. Corduroy does have soime of the feel of velvet. The pants button at each side and have two buttons in the front and two in the back.

Lining

The lining on the jacket is silk and I'm not sure what the lining in the pants is.

Color

The suit is brown. Information from these vintage clothing pages is useful because it helps interpret the historic black and white photographs used on HBC.

Age

This suit was for a little boy, but we have no information on the age. We do have the measurements which is useful in assessing the age of the boy who wore this suit. The jacket measures approximately 11 1/2" across, from shoulder seam to shoulder seam, x 15" long (down the back, from the top of the collar), x 13" around the collar x 12 1/2" down each arm (from the top of the shoulder seam, to the end of the cuff) x 8 1/2" down the sleeve from under the arm x about 14" down the front x 28 1/2" around the entire jacket (measurement taken under the arms). The pants measure approximately 23" around the waist x 14" long (down the side of each leg) x 6 1/2" down the inside of the leg x 10" around the bottom of each leg. I think it might be about a boy's size 4 or 5, but I'm not sure.

Usage

Figure 3.--Here we see the kneepants worn with the suit. Note the buttons on the waist. These could be used for suspenders or button on blouses. Click on the image to see how the pants opened.

Assessment