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Belgian Boys Suits: Chronology

Belgian suit chronology
Figure 1.--These unidentified Belgian twins look to be done up for First Communionn in identical single-breasted suits with short pants., Everything is identical, including the ties, handkerchiefs, watches, knee socks and carefully polished shoes. Even thesame buutton of their suyit jckers are buttoned. The boys look to be about 9 years old. The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1930s.

We have very limited information on Belgian suits during the 19th century. We suspect that styles were similar to those in France. Sailor suits were popular. We are less sure about Fauntleroy suits. Our Belgian archive has very few 19th century images. We are not sure why that was. Belgium was a heavily industrialized country with a prosperous economy, so we believe that there is a substantial photographic record. We are unsure why we have no found many images. We do not yet have ebough Belgian images to assess 19yh century trends. We know much more about the 20th century and we have found ax substantial photograohic record after the turn of the 20th century, especilly futring the first hlf of the century. For some reason we se fewer images agter World War II (1939-45). We see masny of the same trends that we see in ither European ciuntries, especially France. We see boys wearing collar buttoning jackets in the early 20th century, often with knee pants. Long stockings were common. Sailor suits were also popular. Older boys wore lapel jackets. Norfolk suits were popular. We see many boys with Eton collars, but acual Eton suits were less common. After World War I we see both single- and double-breasted suits, often worn with short pants. Knee socks began replacing long stockings, but stockings were still worn for formal occassions. Vests were common. The shorts tended to be knee length in the 1920s and early-30s as you can see with the boys here (figure 1). Also note the vents inn the pickers, a linger jin touch of Norfolk styling. The length of the shorts began to become notably shorter in the 1940s. Vests became less common. We also notice difference in the width of the lapels. The transition to long pants varied from family to family, but was usually in the teens. Some teenagers wore knicker suits as a kind of trabsitiob whivh we see into the 50s. Gradually long pants suits became more commomn, but many boys wore short pants suits into the 1960s. At the same time, as in the rest of Europe we begin to see fewer boys wearing suits, especially after the 1950s.

The 19th Century

We have very limited information on Belgian suits during the 19th century. We suspect that styles were similar to those in France. Sailor suits were popular. We are less sure about Fauntleroy suits. Our Belgian archive has very few 19th century images. We are not sure why that was. Belgium was a heavily industrialized country with a prosperous economy, so we believe that there is a substantial photographic record. Coomercial photography was invented in France (1839). So by mid-century there should be a substbgtial photographic record. We are unsure why we have no found many images. We do not yet have enough Belgian images to make any attempt at assessing 19th century trends. Boys would have been wearing skeleton suits in the early-19th century, but we do not have any images. Abd even after the development of ohotography, we found very few images. We are not sure yet about the jacket styles. We are not sure abiout opnts trends. We only know that by the end of the century that boys were wearing knee pants ssuits with long stockings.

The 20th Century

We know much more about the 20th century and we have found ax substantial photograohic record after the turn of the 20th century, especilly futring the first half of the century. The boys ghere, probanly doing their First Communion are a good example of suit trends, we think in the 1930s (figure 1). For some reason we see fewer images agter World War II (1939-45). We see masny of the same trends that we see in ither European countries, especially France. We see boys wearing collar buttoning jackets in the early 20th century, often with knee pants. Long stockings were common. Sailor suits were also popular. Older boys wore lapel jackets. Norfolk suits were popular. We see many boys with Eton collars, but actual Eton suits were less common. After World War I we see both single- and double-breasted suits, often worn with short pants. Knee socks began replacing long stockings, but stockings were still worn for formal occassions. Vests were common. The shorts tended to be knee length in the 1920s and early-30s as you can see with the boys here (figure 1), butvwere becoming sdhorter. Also note the vents in the pockets, a lingering touch of Norfolk styling. The length of the shorts began to become notably shorter in the 1940s. Vests became less common. The boys here do not seem to have vests. We also notice difference in the width of the lapels. The transition to long pants varied from family to family, but was usually in the teens. Some teenagers wore knicker suits as a kind of trabsition which we see ro a small extent into the 50s. Gradually long pants suits became more commomn, but many boys wore short pants suits into the 1960s. At the same time, as in the rest of Europe we begin to see fewer boys wearing suits, especially after the 1950s ass more casual styles were becoming more popular. Fior some reason this trend was a little slower in Belgium than many other European countries.









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Created: 7:40 AM 10/14/2013
Last updated: 4:40 AM 12/9/2022