Figure 1.--Here we have a tin-type mother with her son who looks to be about 7-years old. He wears a rare unbelted tunic with extensive buttoned decoration. We suspect this the product of home sewing. Tin-types are very difficult to date. We suspect that this one was taken un the 1870s, but are not sure. The boy seems to be wearing pantrlettes with his tunic. Unuusally the child has a cenrer part, but he looks to be a boy.

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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Created: 7:49 PM 10/10/2023
Last edited: 7:49 PM 10/10/2023