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The tuxedo is basically an adult garment. Tuxedos are rarely worn by boys. These formal 19th century costume for weddings are not commonly worn by men either. Except for the upper class, tuxedos are usually worn by most men only at their high school proms or at their wedding and only if formal weddings. apparently they were more common at the turn of the century, they were more common than today. We note a dinner jacket advertised in a Canadian catalog in 1902. Normally boys only wear tuxedos if attending a formal wedding. And even at these wedding if he is the ring bearer or in the grome's party. There are today very limited other opportunities for a boy to wear a tuxedo. Even in formal weddings there are other options for boys. In Scotland he might wear a kilt outfit. In America, Eton suits, commonly worn with short pants, are probably the most common choice for boy's formal wear. Many boys, even quite young boys, however, now insist on dressing like the adults. Thus it has become increasingly common to dress them just like the groomsmen in small tuxedos. Boys tuxedos, unlike Eton suits, are mostly worn with long pants. The boys prefer this so that they look just like the other attedants. There are, however, also tuxedos done in short pants. One company indicates that boy's tuxedo shorts are the perfect look for wedding ring bearers. One wedding expert writes, "Styled and proportioned for the young man, these formal short pants give a delightful accent to his tuxedo outfit."
The tuxedo is basically an adult garment. Tuxedos are rarely worn by boys. These formal 19th century costume for weddings are not commonly worn by men either. Except for the upper class, tuxedos are usually worn by most men only at their high school proms or at their wedding and only if formal weddings.
Apparently they were more common at the turn of the century, they were more common than today. We have not found many images of boys wearing tuxedos. The earliest we have found date to the late 19th century. They clearly were not commonly worn at any time.
we have very few details about tuxedos worn by boys in different countries. At this time we only have one country page, one for the United States. The styles, however, were basically the same in the vsarious country images we have found. We note an American boy, Arthur J. Miller, wearing a tixedo about 1870. We note an American a 1901 advertisement for a knee pants tuxedo. We note a dinner jacket advertised in a Canadian catalog in 1902. In Scotland he might wear a kilt outfit. We note Danish tuxedos.
Normally boys mostly wore tuxedos if attending a formal wedding. There may have been a few exceptions, such as dressing up for a magic act. The principal occassion, however, seem to be formal events. And even at these wedding if he is the ring bearer or in the grome's party. There are today very limited other opportunities for a boy to wear a tuxedo. Even in formal weddings there are other options for boys. In America, Eton suits, commonly worn with short pants, are probably the most common choice for boy's formal wear. Many boys at weddings, even quite young boys, however, now insist on dressing like the adults. Thus it has become increasingly common to dress them just like the groomsmen in small tuxedos.
Boys tuxedos, unlike Eton suits, are mostly worn with long pants. The boys prefer this so that they look just like the other attedants. There are, however, also tuxedos done in short pants. One company indicates that boy's tuxedo shorts are the perfect look for wedding ring bearers. One wedding expert writes, "Styled and proportioned for the young man, these formal short pants give a delightful accent to his tuxedo outfit."
We have used "tuxedo" as a kind of generic term for formal dress. A HBC reader tells us that this is not correct. He writes, "I wonder if "tuxedo" is the right term for this boy's formal wear. The tuxedo or 'dinner jacket' (as it is referred to in England) has a different and lower level of formality from 'full dress' in both America and Britain. The same distinction applies to most northern European countries even today The difference is that, traditionally, full dress suits require a white tie, while the dinner jacket has a black tie. The dinner jacket, by the way, is a relatively
late invention--brought in, I believe, in the early 20th century as a relaxation of the requirement that men and boys wear stiffly starched collars and shirt fronts. Invitations still designate dinners or formal occasions as "black tie" (dinner jackets, tuxedos) or white tie (full dress suits with tails and white tie). When I was a teenager going to
coming-out parties in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the engraved invitations always made this distinction very clear so that people didn't show up with the wrong clothes. Not long ago, when some of Prince Charles's friends gave a dinner in his honor, they were very critical of him because he showed up in a dinner jacket rather than white tie and tails (which they expected him to wear)."
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