*** American kilt suits: hosiery and pantalettes








American Kilt Suits: Hosiery

kilt suit hosiery
Figure 1.--This boy from Salem, Massachusettes wears a classic cut-away jacket and matching kilt skirt. Note that the jacket has some of the military styling often worn with Highland klit outfits. The portrait was undated, but probably taken in the 1870s, probably the late 70s. The boy is unidentified, but looks to be about 5 years old. Note the striped long stockings. Also note the low-cut shoes.

Kilt suits, unlike Higland kilts, were almost always worn with long stockings, very rarely with knee socks. This is certainly the case in the United States, we are less sure for Britain at the time, but we have not notice then there ever. Higland kilts were worn with knee socks, but not kilt suits. We have found very few such examples. This is a little surprising as one reason kilt suits became popular was that they were based on a skirted garment worn by men. Yet we have found very few portraits of an American boy wearing a kilt suit with knee socks. We do note a few American boys wearing Highland kilts and they do wear knee socks. Kilt suits were almost always worn with long stockings. I am not sure just why these conventions were so strong. Normally there is a degree of diversity when large numbers of people were involved. But unlike most popular fashions, these conventions were very strictly followed. Kilts were mostly worn in the late-19th Century. By this time pantalettes had become much less common for children, especially for boys, but we still see them with long stockings. While they were still worm as late as the 1890s, they were not common with kilt suits, at least pantalettes extening below the hem line, as far as we can find in the photographic record.

Long Stockings

Kilt suits, unlike Higland kilts, were almost always worn with long stockings, very rarely with knee socks. We see some knee socks, but very few. This is certainly the case in the United States, we are less sure for Britain at the time, but we have not notice then there eiyher. Kilt suits were almost always worn with long stockings. We are not sure just why these conventions were so strong. Normally there is a degree of diversity when large numbers of people were involved. But unlike most popular fashions, these conventions were very strictly followed. Not only do we almost always see long syockings , but we also almost always see skirtb levers just below the knee or lower. Here we see a boy wearing striped long stockings (figure 1). These striped or more corectly banded long stockings were popular in the 1870s and early-80s. Afterwards solid colored or flat dark long stockings became the standard. Kilts and kilt suits were mostly worn in the late-19th Century. By this time pantalettes had become much less common for children, especially for boys, but we still see them with long stockings. While they were still worm as late as the 1890s, they were not common with kilt suits, at least pantalettes extening below the hem line are rarely seen, as far as we can find in the photographic record.

Knee Socks

Higland kilts were worn with knee socks, but not kilt suits. We have found very few such examples. This is a little surprising as one reason kilt suits became popular was that they were based on a skirted garment worn by men. Yet we have found very few portraits of an American boy wearing a kilt suit with knee socks. We do note a few American boys wearing Highland kilts and they do wear knee socks rather than long stockings. This was decided not the case with kilt suits. Despite that the kilt name was widely used, they were almost never worn with knee socks. The few examples we have found came from the period in which the kilt suit was just appearing. And they are not tartan knee socks as were common with Highland Kilts.

Three-quater Socks

We do not see kilt suits being worn with three-quarter sicks.







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Created: 9:14 PM 12/22/2007
Last updated: 3:55 AM 6/24/2023