Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows two boys, presumably brothers, wearing elaborately embroiders tunic suits with bloomer knickers and white long stockings. We at first thought it might be some kind of costume. The portrait was taken during or just after the Civil War, It bears a U.S. Internal Revenue tax stamp plus photographer logo on the back, "BLACK AND CASE, NEWPORT RI". The stamp is cancelled Oct 24, 1864, Newport, RI and what appears to be the photographers initials at top. Handwritten is the notation "Julian & Charlie, Newport, 1867". The difference between the stamp cancelation and hand written date are unexplained. The boys look to be about 10-12 years old. This is somewhat older than most of the boys we see wearing tunics.

American boys can also be seen wearing tunics in the 1860s, but seem much less common. We see many tunics with front button, but this looks to be more decoratiin than frontal openings. We see a variety of stylish tunic suits. These were mot ready-made garments which helps to explain the variations in the styling. Most seem to have been worn with bloomer knickers or long pants. The bloomer knickers were worn with white long stockings. These pants seem much less common with other outfits, especially for older boys. With the appearance of the albumen process and CDV prints we seem much larger numbers of portraits. Even so, we do not note many boys wearing tunics. We tend to note younger boys wearing cut-away jackets rather than tunics. We do notice some boys wearing tunics. The tunics tended to be longer than those we see in the 1850s. Theu were mostly belted. A good example is 9-year old Tom K. Christie. Notice the diagonal styling that became popular in the mid-1860s. Another example is 5-year old Russel Parsons in 1869. The tunics in the 1860s extended down to thigh length. Some of the ones worn by younger boys reached down to just above the knee. Mother probably intended for them tin bave worn several years. They were worn with both long pants and bloomer knicker pants which extended below the knee, often well below the knee. We think long pants may nave been the most common, but we are still asessing this. We see some shorter tunics as well. We note J.? Bartlett, a San Franciso boy, wearing a plaid tunic and checked pants. The CDV portraot is undated, but looks like the 1860s to us. The pants were mostly bloomer knickers. Some matched the tunics, others did not. We note Henry Jarvis wearuing a checked tunic and plain pants. Suits with matching jackets and pants became much more common in the 1860s than the 50s. We believe that the same convention developed for tunics. The age range seems quite wide, but all seem to be pre-teens. Tunics were often worn with white stockings (figure 1).

Prevalence

American boys can also be seen wearing tunics in the 1860s, but seem much less commonly than in the 1850s. Cut-away jackets became very popular for youngr boys during the 60s. With the appearance of the albumen process and CDV prints we seem much larger numbers of portraits. Thus for the first time we have a very good idea as to what boys were wearing, althoufg there was stiil a bias to well-to-do city families. Even so, we do not note many boys wearing tunics in contrast to the 1950s. We tend to note younger boys wearing cut-away jackets rather than tunics aftr brreching. We do notice some boys wearing tunics so it was not a style that disappeared, only one that apparently declined in popularity.

Construction

We see many tunics with front button, but this looks to be more decoration than frontal openings. This is a little hard to tell from the portraits. If so we are not sure how boys put them on when dressing.

Styles

We see a wide variety of stylish tunic suits. There does not seem to have been any established styule. These were mot ready-made garments which helps to explain the variations in the styling. Much if the styling and detailing was on the tunic.lthough n some cases it was repeated on the pants.

Ages

We mostly see school age boys to about 10 years of age wearing tunic suits. The boys here seem to be a little older than most of the boys we have fojund wearing knickers (figure 1).

Tunic Suit Garments

A tunic suit had three basic garments, the tunic and the trousers. In a few rare examples there was matching headwear, but this was not very common. As mot of these outfits were made by seamsresses or mothers, thus was possible if the mothers so choose. Some tunics had trousers matching the tunics, others did not. Matching tunic suits were not very common in the 1850s, but in the 60s they were. The tunic itself as might be expected was the most important oart of a tunic suit. The tunics tended to be longer than those we see in the 1850s. And they were increasingly done in suiting matrial. Many 1850s tunics look more like long shirts. This was not very common in the 1860s, especially after the early-60s. Tunic tend to become rather palin, much like suit jackets. The tunics were mostly belted, the belt having no practical function. Some tunics had trousers matching the tunics, others did not. Matching tunic suits were not very common in the 1850s, but in the 60s they were. We note Henry Jarvis wearing a checked tunic and plain pants. And we note J.? Bartlett, a San Franciso boy, wearing a plaid tunic and checked pants. The CDV portrait is undated, but looks like the 1860s to us. Suits with matching jackets and pants became much more common in the 1860s than the 50s. We believe that the same convention developed for tunics. Most tunic suits seem to have been made with bloomer knickers or long pants based on the photographic record. The bloomer knickers were worn with white long stockings. These knicker pants seem much less common with other outfits, especially for older boys.

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Created: 2:12 AM 3/12/2007
Last edited: 12:47 PM 1/7/2014