Figure 1.--Boys wore knicker-length pants with tunics that matched the tunic itself. The pants had very plain styling. Some were above-the-knee length while others were below-the-knee length.

The tunic outfits were actally suits as the pants that were worn with them usually made in the same color and in the same material as the tunic itself. We have little information on the pants worn with these tunics in the early and mid-19th century. We believe that younger boys wore pantalettes. When the boys were a little older they began wearing long pants. After mid-century boys began wearing bloomer knickers. We have much more information about these outfits at the turn of the 20th century, but more on the tunics than the pants. Some of these outfits like Buster Brown suits were actually called suits. The pants were usually knicker length which bloused at the knee. Some were worn above the knee, but they were also worn below the knee as well. Some contemprary fashion writers referred to the pants worn with tunic suits as bloomers. The destinguishing feature og these pannts is that usually bloused at the leg with elastic hathering rather than having buttons or buckles like proper knickers. Some of the tunics may have been worn with kneepants, but the bloucing effect was much more common. The pants were very plain, almost never with any notable detailing. There were several different types of tunics (Buster Brown, Russian, sailor, and others), but there were no special type of pants assocaited with these different styles. I am not sure if these had pockets or other features.

Chronology

We have only little information on the pants worn with these tunics in the early and mid-19th century. We believe that younger boys wore pantalettes. When the boys were a little older they began wearing long pants. We have little written information, however, pantalettes may have also be considered dressy, formal wear. We also note long pants being worn through the 1850s. We note both baggy long pants looking rather like plain knickers as well tight trousers. After mid-century boys began wearing bloomer knickers. We have much more information about these outfits at the turn of the 20th century, but more on the tunics than the pants. Some of these outfits like Buster Brown suits were actually called suits. The pants were usually knicker length which bloused at the knee. Some were worn above the knee, but they were also worn below the knee as well.

Suits

The tunic outfits in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were often called suits. This was because in the late 19th and early 20th century outfits were actally suits because the pants that were worn with them usually made in the same color and in the same material as the tunic itself. This could also be the case in the early 19th centuy, although we often notice pnts in contrasting colors. The younger boys in the early 19th century appear to have worn pantalettes with their tunics rather than long pants. The pantlettes alway seem to have been white.

Types

We have noted boys wearing three types of pants with tunics: pantalettes, long pants, and bloomer knickers. The use of these three types varied with the age of te boy and also chronogically. We have noted boys in the early 19th century wearing pantalettes with their tunics. Commonly this was the younger boys that had just been braeched, but some older boys also wore pantalettes as well. We have noted boys wearing pantalettes with tunics as late as the late 1850s. We note boys wearing long pants with tunics in the 1810s. We believe they were also worn in the 1800, but we cannot yet confirm this. The first long pany worn with tunics appear to have been baggy, looking rather like plain plantlettes. Some were the same color as the nic. Other were white or other contrasting colors. By the 1820s we note boys wearing tighter fitting long pants. Some contemprary fashion writers referred to the pants worn with tunic suits as bloomers. The destinguishing feature og these pannts is that usually bloused at the leg with elastic hathering rather than having buttons or buckles like proper knickers. Some of the tunics may have been worn with kneepants, but the bloucing effect was much more common after the 1850s.

Colors

We do not have a lot of images of 19th century tunics because they were most popular in the era before photography. While we do not have many images, several are paintings done in color. So we know a lottle bit about coloes. We note blue, brown, cream, and wgite, but as our sample is vdry small, there must have been others coloers. We note boys in the 19th century wearing mostly pants that did not match their tunics. We note some matching outfits, such as the boy in the Eckersberg family (Denmark, 1818). This seems to have been the exception rather than the rule. More common were contrasting colors such as the younger boy in the Kessler-Trümpi family (Switzerland, 1840). This convention changed for the tunic suits worn in the early 20th century. They were mostly done with matching suits and pants.

Individual Boys

Some of the individual boys we have noted wearing tunics have included the following:

1818: A Danish boy in 1818 wears baggy long trouswes looking rather like pantalettes, but in the same material and color as the tunic.
The 1850s: English boy Pen Browning in the late 1850s wear pantalettes with his tunic.
The 1850s-60s: The sons of English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson wear pantalettes when younger and bloomer knickers when older with their tunic suits .
The 1900s: An American boy wears bloomer knickers ith his tunic suit.

Created: April 12, 2002
Last updated: June 29, 2002