Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows an unidentified English boy wearing a tunic outfit. He looks to be about 7-years old. Notice tht the knickers match the tunic. With the tunic he wears an Eton-style white collar. He also wears white long stockings and high-top shoes. The cap looks to be a military-style peaked cap. Notice the books on the table which suggests that this may be a school outfit. The portrait is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1860s. The studio was Harrington in Brighton.

We have several photographic images of English boys wearing tunics at mid-centurty. While we have been able to find few impages from the 1840s and 50s, we have found quite a number from the 60s and 70s, primarily because the appearance of CDVs meant that photographs were taken in far greater numbers. We note the Tennyson boys wearing tunics in the 1860s, but are unsure how common that was. We have acquired a number of portraits that suggest quite a few English boys wore tunics in the 1860s. We we see another unidentified English boy from the 1860s (figure 1). It is a knee length tunic worn with knee pants. We suspect the tunic was a style more popular among affluent than working-class families, but we are not positive about this. Early tunics seem to have been more like smocks. Most portraits show boys wearing tunics with long trousers, but we also note shortened-length pants (knee pants and bloomer knickers) for the first time in the 1860s. An example is the younger brother in an unidentified family portrait of three boys. The tunics we see in the first half of the 19th century were all plain colored outfits, at least the images we have found so far. We first see patterned tunics in the 1860s, we think in the late-1860s. We can not be more precise because the earliest images we have found of patterned tunics are undated and we have had to estimate the dates. Based on the images collected so far we get the impression that there were social class conventions. This seems to have been a style foe boys from affluent families and was less common for working-class boys. There also seems to be an association with schoolwear. We commonly see books present in the portraits which suggest a school assiciation. .

Prevalence

We have several photographic images of English boys wearing tunics at mid-centurty. While we have been able to find few impages from the 1840s and 50s, we have found quite a number from the 60s and 70s, primarily because the appearance of CDVs meant that photographs were taken in far greater numbers. We note the Tennyson boys wearing tunics in the 1860s, but are unsure how common that was. We have acquired a number of portraits that suggest quite a few English boys wore tunics in the 1860s.

Age Trends

Most of the examples we have found of English boys wearing tunic suits suggest school age boys about 6-10 years of age. Here we have mostly our age estimates to go on. They are not precise, but give a good rough idea. The boy here looks to ne about 8-years old. We have noy yet found examples of boys much older than 10-years of age.

Garments

Tunic suits consisted of the tunic and pants. By the 1860s they were mostly matching garments. We call these garments tunics, but most of what we see in the 1860s button up the front and might be called long jackets. Here we see a good example, another unidentified English boy from the 1860s (figure 1). It is a long tunic, falling to between the knees and the waist. It is worn with below the knees knee-pants. Early tunics seem to have been more like smocks. Portraits during the first haff of the 19th century show boys wearing tunics with long trousers. We note shortened-length pants (knee pants and bloomer knickers) for the first time in substantial numbers during the 1860s. Of course the 1860s is the first decade in which we see shortened-length pants with tunics. Unfortumnately we do not yet have many images from the 1850s. An example is the younger brother in an unidentified family portrait of three boys. Most of the tunics were belted, but we see some unbelted ones.

Colors and Patterns

We have only limited information on color, but the black and white photography does show patterns. We are not sure about the colors worn in the 1860s. We suspct blue was a very common color for the dark tunics we see. But blue would not have been the only color as paintings throughout the early-19th century show. We also see some lighter colors. But as the photography is all black and white, we are unsure as to the color. Some would have been grey. We know more aout patterns. The tunics we see in the first half of the 19th century were all plain colored outfits, at least the images we have found so far. We first see patterned tunics in the 1860s, we think in the late-1860s. We can not be more precise because the earliest images we have found of patterned tunics are undated and we have had to estimate the dates. We notice a boy wearing a checked tunic suit with a white collar and small bow, we think in the late-1860s.

Accompanying Clothes

We notice boys with a variety of headwear. We see peaked caps, but not the rounded crown caps that would be so popular, more of a military style. We also see what look to be Glengaries (figure 1). Boys mostly wore long stockings. White long stockings were common. Again the boy here is a good example. We see socks as well, including white three-quarter socks.

Social Class

We suspect the tunic was a style more popular among affluent than working-class families, but we are not positive about this. Based on the images collected so far we get the impression that there were social class conventions. This seems to have been a style foe boys from affluent families and was less common for working-class boys.

Schoolwear

There also seems to be an association with schoolwear. We commonly see books present in the portraits which suggest a school association. We are not sure to what extent if any that schools established the tunic as a required school garment. As far as we jnow the choice here was the parents fashion sense.

Created: 3:26 AM 12/4/2011
Last updated: 10:51 AM 5/21/2018