Figure 1.--These two fashiionably dressed French brothers pose for a CDV portrait, we think in the early-1870s. The boys look to b about 4-7 years old. The younger boy wears a jacketed dress which seem cut unsually long. His brother wears a velvet suit with military styled frogging. He looks to have as mall Eton collar and bow. The pants look to be below-the-knee knickers. Both children have white long stockings with high-top button shoes. The studio was Carette in Lille. The white long stockings date American images to the 1860s or early-70s. We suspect the same was true of French images, but cannot yet confirm that.

We also plan to add decade pages to hone in on fashion tends during the alte 19th century in more detail. While photographs are often not dated, it is usually possible to date the approximate decade or age range by the photographic format, clohing styles are mount characteristics. We do not yet have a large enough number of images from this era to summarize fashion trends, but we will as we work on this section. It will be useful compare with comparable decade trends in other major European countries and America. We have begun to see some basic similarities, but also some major differences. Th suits we see seem more stylish than those in America, at least until the Fauntleroy craze began (1885). They seem to be more varied than in America. Perhaps ready made clothing developed later in France than in America. Shortened length trousers seem to have taken hold in France before America. Anmd we see quite a number of children wearing socks rather than long stocking which were standard in America throughout the 19th century.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing French pages:
[Return to the Main French late-19th century chronology page]
[Return to the Main French 19th century chronology page]
[Return to the Main French chronology page]
[Return to the Main French page]
[French art] [French catalogs] [Difficult French images] [French choirs] [French ethnics]
[French movies] [French postcards] [French royalty] [French sailor suits] [French school uniforms] [French school smocks] [French youth grouop uniforms]

Created: 4:25 AM 1/4/2014
Last updated: 4:26 AM 1/4/2014