***
English boy clothes -- suits chronology 19th century 1860s
English Boys Suits Chronology: The 1860s--Garments
Figure 1.-- This CDV portrait is undated, but we believe was taken in the late-1860s, although the early-70s is possible. The boys surely are brothers, they look to be about 6-9 years old. A British reader tells us thast the wrriting on the back tells us thas the boys are Morik and Paul Kenny. There mother may have been Clara Morik Kenny. They may have lived in Nimbschen / Wlmbsches, but this is difficult to make out. (Click on the image if you want to try to make the writing out.) The younger boy wears a kilt suit wih a cut-away jacket. The older boy also wears a cut-away jacket, but with a vest and long pants. Notice the white stockings, very common in the 1860s.
Suits primarily consist of two garments but in the 1860s, jackets and pants, vests were also very common. Younger boys wore suits with cut-away jackets in the mid-19th century. A good example is an unidentified English boy, probably in the 1860s. Some of these cut-away jacket suits were plain, others had elaborate styling and detailing. We also see collar-buttoning jackets, but cut-away jackets seem to be the most poplar style for the younger boys. We note some older boys wearing suits with cut-away jackets, although with long jackets. A good example is an English boy, Edward Larrer in 1861. The Eton suit became very popular after mid-century. It originated of course at Eton College and was adopted at other public schools, but was worn as a basic suit style outside of school as well. Many period portraits show boys wear vests with their suits. The CDV using the albumen process significantly reduced the price of photographic portraits, buy it was still pricey for working class families. So we do not know if working-class boys also wore vests. Styles in the 19th century were set by the well-to-do and that low-income families adopted the same fashion to the extent that they could afford it. Vests were much more common throughout the 19th century than was the case in the 20th century. We are not sure why, but we suspect it was not just fashion. We see boys wearing both long and shortened-length pants. In the first half of the 19th century, boys of all ages after breeching mostly wore long pants. We see shortened-length pants beginning to become standard in the 60s. There were also social class factors involved. Shortened-length pants seem especially true of well-to do boys from fashionable families. Long pants, however, were still common. Shortened-length boys were still mostly worn by pre-school and the younger school-age boys. English boys were bloomer knickers, knee pants and long pants.
Jackets
Younger boys wore suits with cut-away jackets in the mid-19th century. A good example is an unidentified English boy, probably in the 1860s. Some of these cut-away jacket suits were plain, others had elaborate styling and detailing. We also see collar-buttoning jackets, but cut-away jackets seem to be the most poplar style for the younger boys. We note some older boys wearing suits with cut-away jackets, although with long jackets. A good example is an English boy, Edward Larrer in 1861. The Eton suit became very popular after mid-century. It originated of course at Eton College and was adopted at other public schools, but was worn as a basic suit style outside of school as well.
Vests
Many period portraits show boys wear vests with their suits. The CDV using the albumen process significantly reduced the price of photographic portraits, buy it was still pricey for working class families. So we do not know if working-class boys also wore vests. Styles in the 19th century were set by the well-to-do and that low-income families adopted the same fashion to the extent that they could afford it. Vests were much more common throughout the 19th century than was the case in the 20th century. We are not sure why, but we suspect it was not just fashion.
Pants
We see boys wearing both long and shortened-length pants. In the first half of the 19th century, boys of all ages after breeching mostly wore long pants. We see shortened-length pants beginning to become standard in the 60s. There were also social class factors involved. Shortened-length pants seem especially true of well-to do boys from fashionable families. Long pants, however, were still common. Shortened-length boys were still mostly worn by pre-school and the younger school-age boys. English boys were bloomer knickers, knee pants and long pants. Bloomer knickers seem very common for the younger boys. Knee pants were often cut with very full legs. Here age was a factor. Most boys wore long pants, especially boys over about 10-years of age.
