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English boy clothes -- suits material fabric silk satin velvet
English Boys Suits: Material and Fabric--Silk
Figure 1.--This English CDV portrait shows two unidentified brothers wearing identical three-piece velvet cut-away jacket suits. The jacket and vest (waistcoat) had contrasting piping. we think the velvet was a silk weave. Notice the circular embroidered pattrns. They also have identical boaters and striped long stockings, although the striping is less detinct on the boy to the right. They look to be about 5-8 years of age. The portrait is undated but was probanly taken in the 1870s. The studio was R. Dighton in Cheltenham..
Silk both in China where it originated and when it first arrived in Europe during the Roman era has been seen as a luxury fabric. It has been used for children clothes, but was did not have the durable characteristic that is important when dealing with children. Wenote silk garments being used for children's play clothes in the eraly-20th century. We do not yet, however,muxh imnformation on this and it is not readily apparent in photographic images. Silk was not commonly used for suits. One exception was velvet. Silk was not the most common material because of its cost. It was mostly used for clothes for younger children from well-to-do families. We see younger boys wearing fancy velvet suits in the 19th century. True velvet is mafe with silk, but material with a velvet look can be made with cotton or ar a cotton-silk blend. Fancy velvet suits appaeared well before Little Lord Fauntleroy suits in the 1880s. They had elaborate embroidery, but were not worm with all the fancy Fauntleroy trim untils the 80s. It is of course impossible to tell from the photographs to what extent the velvet-looking suits were true velvet made from silk. We suspect that many of the early velvet suits were done in silk, but gradually cheper weaves were used, especially when the Fauntleroy suits became popular. That said, the Fauntleroy suit was never as popular in Europe as it was in America. We do, however, other than Fauntletoy suits see relatively more velvet suits in England than Americs. We also see velvet being used as trim. Satin was another silk fabric, but not commonly used for boys clothes. We see a few boys from weakthy families waring silk suits, but it was not common.
History
Silk first reached Europe during the Roman era over the Silk Road. It was the reason the trading betwork across Central Asian was called the Silk Road. Very little silk from China reached Europe during the medieval era. This was because Muslim countries stood betweem Chuina and Europe. Th cost of shipping over the Silk Road was huge and going through Muslim misslkemen made it astroimical. The Byzantuines learned the secret of silk and and industry developoed in Italy. Ioening maritime comnerce with China was alsoa game changer (16th century), It is at this time that the silk industry appears in England. England had a well established wool weaving industry, but silk required differet methoids. Silk weaving was introduced to England by Flemish refugees dleeing the Soanish attenps to supress Protestants (16th century). Silk weaving exoanded further Huguenots fleeing Freanch eeforys to sypress Protestabts arrived in Spitalfields, London (1685). The main centers of silk weavuing were London, Coventry, and Norwich. A major step was taken by Thomas Lombe "new invention of three sorts of engines never before made or used in Great Britain, one to wind the finest raw silk, another to spin, and the other to twist" (1718) [Hutton]. His critics later claimed that his invention was actually a machine in bing used for more than a century in Italy. Be that what it may, Lombe intriduced the mchin in Englnd. He assembled several of these silk weaving mchine. He asnd his btother brother John set up a silk mill in Derby. John died (1722). There were rumors that he had been poisoned by vengeful Italians. [Huttonn] Their mill was a success, employing over 300 people (1730). Other wanted in on the business. Silk mills appared at Manchester, London, Norwich, Macclesfield, Chesterfield and Stockport. Athe Industrial Revlution began to trasform Britain (mid-18th century). George Courtauld and Peter Nouaille came together to open ed a silk mill in Sevenoaks, Kent (1793). The two men agreedober business, but adiifered iver politics. Courtauld opened a mill of hus own in Braintree, Essex. He specialized in crape, a stiff silk, which was commonly used for mourning garments. ourtauld developed a new silk spindle which allowed him to imcrease prodyction (1814). Joseph Jacquard, at silk mill in France, invented a specuialized loom that allowed patterns to be created without the manual intervention of the weaver (early-19th century). Skilled weavers for good reason fwere worried abiut their jobs. They destroyed Jacquard's first looms. Some 11,000 of these looms were bering used in France (1812). They began tom appear in other contries. The growing ause of Jacquard loom created new markets for Britain's siolk industry (1820s). Some 100,000 power-looms were operating in Britain using Jacquard's invention (1833). After Courtauld's death his son, Samuel, took ovedr operations. Relastives Peter Taylor and Peter Alfred Taylor becazme involved. The silk industry became increasungly mechanized after the invention spinning machine which was more efficent ith shirt fibres (1836). Courtauld, Taylor & Courtauld employed over 2,000 people in its three silk mills (mid-19th century). Overall 130,000 people were employed in Britain's silk industry (mid-19th century). [Simkin] Employment then began to drclime, ee believe because the mills became increasingly efficent.
Fabrics
Silk Fabrics
Silk both in China where it originated and when it first arrived in Europe during the Roman era has been seen as a luxury fabric. It has been used for children clothes, but was did not have the durable characteristic that is important when dealing with children. We note silk garments being used for children's play clothes in the eraly-20th century. We do not yet, however, much imnformation on this and it is not readily apparent in photographic images. We notice these garments being marketed as Sgantung silk. We are not sure about England.
Silk was not commonly used for suits. One exception was velvet. Silk was not the most common material for boys' clothes because of its cost. It was mostly used for clothes for younger children from well-to-do families. We see younger boys wearing fancy velvet suits in the 19th century. True velvet is made with silk, but material with a velvet look can be made with cotton or ar a cotton-silk blend. Fancy velvet suits appeared well before the more famous Little Lord Fauntleroy suits. We note quite a number (1870s). Many had elaborate embroidery and trim. Some weere plain. The xuits here for ecazmpler only had piping. Thhy were. howevedr, were not worm with all the fancy Fauntleroy embekishnments trim untils the Fauntl=leroy Craze (1880s). The Fauntleroy suits appeared (1885). It is of course impossible to tell from the photographs to what extent the velvet-looking suits were true velvet made from silk. We suspect that many of the early velvet suits were done in silk velbet, but gradually cheper weaves were used, especially when the Fauntleroy suits became popular. That said, the Fauntleroy suit was never as popular in Eutope as it was in America-- it was probably most coimmon in England anong the European countriues. We do, however, other than Fauntletoy suits see relatively more velvet suits in England than Americsa We also see velvet being used as trim on jackets and coats. .
Satin
Satin was another silk fabric, but not commonly used for boys clothes. We see a few boys from weakthy families waring silk suits, but it was not common.
