Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified English boy ina CDV portrait. The CDV was the dominat photpgraphic format in England during the 1870s. He wears a suit with a short jcket done with double-breasted styling. The second row of buttonds, however, looks ormamental. We have not seen a jacket like this in the American photogrohuc record. We think it was mean to emulate Regency styling. The children have long stockings, The boy has low-cut shoes. The studio was Prestwick in London. It is dated 1878.

We do not yet have basic information on double breasted styling. We believe it have originated with naval garments, specifically the pea-coat or reefer jacket. It may have had Dutch-English origins. The name come from a heavy Dutch fabric--'pij' cloth. This came to be known as P-cloth. Peas never figured into it--only the letter'P' which is pronounced 'pea' in English. The British Royal Navy seems to have adopted the heavy Dutch cloth and the short cut of the jacket which gave salors the needed freedom of motion in working aboard ships, especially the rigging. We do not know when the double breasted frature was adopted for pea-coats. It was also called a reffer (another naval term) jacket, because short outer garments are often called jackets. Royal Navy pea coats/reefer jackets had double-breasted closings. The double-breasted closing had to keep the chest warm, a valuable feature for sailors. This was especially the case of 18th and 19th century sailors abord actual sailing vessels who had to work on the exposed decks and rigging in stormy weather. Modern pea coats are single breasted, but commonly have a second row of button for ornamentation giving a double-breasted look. Gradually the styling was introduced in men's clothing. We are not sure just when the first double breasted pea-coat appeared or when double-breasted styling was picked up for use in men's fashions. We think that during the Regency, some jackets were made with double breasted styling. This mean the early-19th century before the advent of phhotography so we do not have a phoographic redord. It was never a decicated boy's fashions, although because boys's wore sailor outfits, boys did wear double-breasted garments like pea-coats. In addition we see boys weating double-breasred suit jackets and or double-beasted vests. But this seems to be because men were wearing double-breasted suits not becuse it was a boy's style. We note English boys wearing suit jackets during the 1870s. We suspect that they were also worn in the 1860s, but do not yet have a dated example. The popularity of double-breasted jackets varied over time. After World War I, the single-breasted jacket became the major style. School uniforms were mosly done with single-breasted blazers or jackets.

Background

We do not yet have basic information on double breasted styling. We believe it have originated with naval garments, specifically the pea-coat or reefer jacket. It may have had Dutch-English origins. The name come from a heavy Dutch fabric--'pij' cloth. This came to be known as P-cloth. Peas never figured into it--only the letter'P' which is pronounced 'pea' in English. The British Royal Navy seems to have adopted the heavy Dutch cloth and the short cut of the jacket which gave salors the needed freedom of motion in working aboard ships, especially the rigging. We do not know when the double breasted frature was adopted for pea-coats. It was also called a reffer (another naval term) jacket, because short outer garments are often called jackets. Royal Navy pea coats/reefer jackets had double-breasted closings. The double-breasted closing had to keep the chest warm, a valuable feature for sailors. This was especially the case of 18th and 19th century sailors abord actual sailing vessels who had to work on the exposed decks and rigging, even in stormy weather. Modern pea coats are single breasted, but commonly have a second row of button for ornamentation giving a double-breasted look. Gradually the styling was introduced in men's clothing.

Chronology

We are not sure just when the first double breasted pea-coat appeared or when double-breasted styling was picked up for use in men's fashions. We think that during the Regency, some jackets were made with double breasted styling. This mean the early-19th century before the advent of phhotography so we do not have a photographic record. We note English boys wearing double-reasted suit jackets during the 1870s. We suspect that they were also worn in the 1860s, but do not yet have a dated example. The 1870s example here looks like double-breasted decorative styling and not an actual double-breasted jacket. The popularity of double-breasted jackets varied over time, but we see numerous examples in the late-19th and early-20th century. Unlike the early-19th cetury, there is a extensive photographic record in the late-19th century showing that the double-breasted style was popular at the time. Our English archieve is not as large as our American archieve, but we are slowly expanding it. We believe that there were social class connotations here, but that is a subject on which we are still working. After World War I, the single-breasted jacket became the major style, although we see some in the inter-War era. After World War II, we see very few English boys wearing double-breasted jackets.

Social Class

Social class was a factor with double-breasted javkets. Working-class and many middle-class boys did not have large wardrobes. Schoolwear often double up for dresswear. And this almost always was a single-breasted jacket. Boys wearing double-breasted jacket almostcertainly ha othe suit jackets lie a blaer or single-beasted jaket for school. Studio portraits often have limited social class clues. Snapshots often tellus more in this regard.

Ages

Double-breasted styling was never a decicated boy's fashions, although because boys's wore sailor outfits, boys did wear double-breasted garments like pea-coats. In addition we see boys weating double-breasred suit jackets and or double-beasted vests. But this seems to be because men were wearing double-breasted suits not becuse it was a boy's style.

Schoolwear

School uniforms were mosly done with single-breasted blazers or jackets.

Created: 5:52 AM 9/28/2009
Last updated: 3:41 PM 3/10/2018