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A tunic is a simple garment of ancient origins because it is so simple, baically two flat pennels sewed togrther. It was thus easy to weave. The tunics worn by children beginning in the 19th century were more complicated with sides and sleeves. Originaly it was a slip on garment with an open central area for the head. Most tunics worn in the 19th and early-20th century had button closures, although it is not not always clear where the buttons were. Side buttons were common became common in the mid-19th century. We are not sure about the early-19th century before photography became available. Some images, mostly taken from the front, do not show buttons. We have never found any images with back buttoning tunics. We have found images of what look like tunics that button in the front. We are not enbtirely sure how to classify these garments. Perhaps readers will have some thoughts. Tunics were done in various lengths. They extended from the shoulders to lenghts above the knee to as low as the calves. Most American tunics were relatively short to about knee length. They were mostltly simple, plain garments, but in the early-20th century we see some fancy ones with elaborate decoration and/or detailaing.
American tunics were done with a wide tange of collars. This is understandable givem the fact taht tunics were worn for over a century and done in many dfifferent styles. The collar was aprty of the sytyling. In addition there were also detachable collars worn over their actual tunic collar. The Ohio boy here wears a detachable white collar (figure 1). Notice that you can not see the top of the tunic. And to further complicate the collar issue, often bows or other neckwear was added which obscures the collar. In the late-19th century these bows could be huge. While we note boys wearing tunics early in the 19th century, we do not have the images needed to follow tunic elements until mid-century. Actually, most of the images we have found date to the early-20th century when tunics suddenly became very popular. This of course affects our examination of the various collar styles. We notice detacable collars, usully Eton or Eton-like collars. And wee notice collars that may be bkouse collars worn undernbeath the tunic. This is a little difficult to sort out when we are just working with photographs.
As for collars that were part of the tunic, we notice sailor, Peter Pan, and Russian blouse collars, three of the most popular tunmic collars in the early-20th century. There were also Fauntrleroy collars, but these are less common because by the turn-of-the 20th century when tunics were becoming especially popular, the Fauntleroy Craze was declining.
Originaly it was a slip on garment with an open central area for the head. We are not sure about the tunics in the early-19th century. Without photography there just are not a loy of images of boys wearing these garments. We see some portraits of boys wearing tunics with not visible buttons. We can not, however, be sure that there were no buttons without actually examining the garment. In particular we do not know about the back of the garment.
Most tunics worn in the mid-19th and early-20th century had button closures. Here we are not sure about the early-19th century, but by the time photography was invented (1840s), we see button closures. It is not not always clear, however, just where the buttons were. Side buttons were common became common in the mid-19th century. We are not sure about the early-19th century before photography became available. Some images, mostly taken from the front, do not show buttons. We have never found any images with back buttoning tunics, but then again there are almost no images taken of the back. We have found images of what look like tunics that button in the front. We are not ebtirely sure how to classify these garments. Some look like heavy shirts. Perhaps readers will have some thoughts. We think that yunics are the best description even though they had button closures. Some mothers used the buttons as a stylistic element, using large buttons or buttons in contrasting color. Large buttons are perfect for todlers learning to dress themselves. But we see large tunic buttons for boys well beyond the todler age group. Other mothers selcted outfits in which the buttons were downplayed, like the buttons here covered in cloth matching the tunic material (figure 1).
American tunics were done in various lengths. They extended from the shoulders to lenghts well above above the knee to as low as the calves. Most American tunics were relatively short. Most werre lengths from somewhere below the waist to above or just at the knee. We see realtively few really long tunics. This varied over time. Many of the tunics we begin to see at mid-century were just a little below the waist looking like like blouses (without shirt tails) that were not tucked in at the waist. We see many such tunics in the early photographic types in Dags and Ambros (1840s-50s). With the advent of CDVs we see far more images (1860s). And the mid-century blouse-like tunics disappear. We see more recogniseably tunics extending far below the waist, but few extended to the knees are below. It should be noted that the tunic was an ideal garment for home sewers because it was such a plain, simple garment. This made it one of the easiest garments to sew. Thus until late in the 19th century we belive that most were purchased in the same dress making shops where mother purchased her dresses, remember that the tunic was mostly worn by boys in fashionable families in comfortanle circumstances. Or they were sewed at home. This meant that there are huge variations in the design of the garments. And this includes the length. Even so really long tunics are not very common.
All tunics had sleeves. The vast majority had long sleeves, including the light-weight tunics made for summer wear that were popular in the early-20th century. The wrist cuff was done in various ways. Notice the dark material and button used here (figure 1). We see some half sleevs below the elbow, but no short sleeves. The sleeves of the boy's tunic here seems to have been shortened somewaht.
Tunics were were mostly simple, plain garments, but in the early-20th century we see some fancy ones with elaborate decoration and/or detailaing. Becoming dress up garments. At the same time we see some done as play outfits. The play tunics were normally plain without much decoration. Belts for some unknown reason were commonly added to tunics, but this was purely a decorative touch. These belts had no practical use. The great majority of tunics were done with belts. We see both wide and narrow belts. Most seem to have been done in the same material as the tunic. Some were black belts, we think done in leather. We see a good example of these narrow black belts here. Notice how it is cinmpltely useless, hving no practical function. We have seen a few tunics done without belts. We do not see very mny, but tunics were such a popular garments that we have a substabtuial archive of them abd we do see a few, mostlty aat a relatuvly early point. We think most were the creation of home sewers.
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