Figure 1.--This portrait is unidentified, but we think it is American. The siblings are all dressed in white. The two older boys are dressed in matching white informal tunic suits. HBC assumes the younger child is a girl--although HBC is not positive about that. All three chidren wear white stockings and strap shoes. This formal portrait was taken n a studio about 1915-20.

A new style of tunics appeared in the 1910s and was worn through the early 1920s. The tunic was styled to look less like a tunic or skirted garment and more like a long shirts. They appeared as actual tunic suits were going out of style. The informal tunic was shorter than classic tunics, about midway between the waist and knees. They were worn with knee pants or shorts. Often the tunic had a variety of open necked collars with them. On actual tunic suits there were never any open collar outfits. They were always tightly closed collrs--many with large floppy bows. Long stockings--especially white stockings were common.

Chronology

This informal version of the tunic suit was not nearly as commom as actual tunic suits. It is thus difficut to estimate a time-line because there are so few available images. A new style of tunics appeared in the 1910s and was worn through the early 1920s. They appeared as actual tunic suits were going out of style.

Conventions

The entire 20th century was a trend toward increasingly casual clothes. This last form of the tunic suit was indeed a casual version, but it was acceptable as dresswear for younger boys. You can tell that the boys here are dressed for a formal occasion because of the white stockings and strap shoes which would have only been worn for formal occasions.

Style

The tunic was styled to look less like a tunic or skirted garment and more like a long shirts. The tunic was shorter than classic tunics, about midway between the waist and knees. Often the tunic had a variety of nearly open necked collars with them. On actual tunic suits there were never any open collar outfits. They were always tightly closed collrs--many with large floppy bows. The boys here wear small string ties, qwuite a contrast to the klarge floppy bows that boys had worn just a few years earlier.

Garments

These informal tunic suits were always worn with knee pants or shorts. Shorts in the 1910s were nearly as long as kneepants, but did not have the ornamental buttons at the hem. Long stockings--especially white stockings were common. All of the available imaages HBC suggest long stockings were common, but three quarter socks were also worn. These outfits like classic tunic suits were often worn with strap shoes.

Colors

White was a popular color for these outfis. Information on other colors is not available at this time.

Created: February 14, 2001
Last updated: 5:32 PM 3/23/2007