Figure 1.--The mother of these Wisconsin boys decided to dress her younger sons in Russian blouses. The two boys in the Russian blouses look to be about 6-8 years old. Both boys wear their Russian blouses with kneepants and long stockings. The photograph was probably taken about 1905. |
The closed necked version might be worn for more formal occasions than the open necked Russian blouse. They were made of many different materials. Some were made out of heavier materilas and seem suitable for cold weather wear. This style appeared in the 1900s and could be used as a kind of formal shirt for a boy who a decade earlier might have worn a Fauntleroy blouse. The closed neck Russian blouse could be worn with kneepants, but kilts were also worn with it. Long pants were not common as it was prinarily a younger boys' style.
This style appeared in the early 1900s. It was worn in the 1900s and 1910s, but not commoinky seen in the 1920s.
The Russian blouse style was widely worn in European countries. I believe it was particularly popular in Grmany and France, but was also worn in Britain and America.
The closed necked version might be worn for more formal occasions than the open necked Russian blouse.
Russian blouses could be worn by quite young boys. It was worn by school age boys up to about 11 or 12 years. It was not commonly worn by teenage boys.
They were made of many different materials. Some were made out of heavier materilas and seem suitable for cold weather wear. It could be used as a kind of formal shirt for a boy who a decade earlier might have worn a Fauntleroy blouse.
Button arrangements varied on Russian blouses. The buttons were some times employed as sylistic elements. Some blouses just had buttions around the neck opening, usually set to the side. Other blouses had buttons running down the entire side.
HBC does not yet have sufficent information to assess colors of Russian blouses.
The closed neck Russian blouse could be worn with kneepants, but kilts were also worn with it. Generally American boys wore long stockings when wearing closed neck Russian blouses, although French boys might wear three-quarter socks. Long pants were not commonly worn with Russian blouses as they were prinarily a younger boys' style.
Boys wearing Russian blouses generally had shorter hair cuts. This was, however, not always the case.
The Russian blouse was primarily a boys' style.
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