** United States boys clothes: garments -- long pants choronology 19th century 1860s








United States Boys' Long Pants Chronology: The 1860s


Figure 1.--The appearance of the CDV in the 1860s caused an explosion of photograpghic images. Never before do we know so much about fashion trends. The unidentified boy here looks to be about 8 years old. He wears a vested, cut-away jacket with long pants. Note the militarry-styled sleeve cuffs. He has a small white collar and bow. He wears high-top lace up shoes. The studio was Heard and Julio in Boston.

For the first time, in the 1860s we have a vast photographic record, thanks to the inexensive and easily reproduceable CDV. As with earlier periods, most of the photographic record is still studio portraits. We note knee pants in the 1860s, but long pants were still much more common. All older boys and most younger boys still wore long pants. A good example is C. Stewart, a very young by in 1865. Another example is Ollie Vail,an American boy about 7-8 years old. An American school portrait in the 1860s show most of the boys wearing long pants. The average American boy did not begin wearing knee pants, however, until the late-19th century. Not only did most boys of all ages wear long pants, but when you move outside the fashionable cities, long pants were still almost universal. Shortened length pants somewhat more common by the end of the decde, but long pants were still still the dominant trouser type for American boys. And even younger boys common wore long pants after breeching. A good example is two American brothers. The photographic record clearly shows that most boys, even younger boys wore long pants in the 1860s. Shortened-length pants seem to have been mostly worn by younger boys from fashionable, well-to-do city families. This is even more apparent when we assess photograohic images not taken in the studio. They are not available in the same number as studio CDVs, but some do exist. A good example is a crowd outside a Christian Commission office during the Civil War. Most such images show boys, even younger boys, usually wearing long pants. This conforms what is suggested by the many studio portaits we have archived. Long pants were the standard wear of almost all Amrican boys except for the affluent class with fashion oriented mothers. It is notable that the Lincoln boys wore long pants. Even there notoriously fashion obsessed Mrs. Lincoln dressed her boys in long pants. Here the fact that she came from Kentucky and lived in Illinois and not a major northeastern where European fashions were quicker to take hold may explain how she dressed the boys. And the image that we have collectd on shortened length pants does show that they were mostly from the bog northeastern cities.

Photographic Record

For the first time, in the 1860s we have a vast photographic record, thanks to the inexensive and easily reproduceable CDV. As with earlier periods, most of the photographic record is still studio portraits.

Prevalence

American boys wore a variety of pants in the 1860s. And with the CDV there is an exponential increase in the number of photographic images. The CDV was less expensive than the Dags and Ambros taken in the 1850s. Given the number of images we are able to assess prevelence better thn in previous decades. The photographic record, however, shows that the vast majority of American boys still wore long pants in the 1860s. We note knee pants in the 1860s, but long pants were still much more common. Thus included most primary school boys. All older boys and most younger boys still wore long pants. There was a strong social-class factor here. Boys wearing shortened-length pants all seem to come from well-established, comfortable families. Photography, especially CDVs brought down the price of portraiture, but still the photographic record strongly over emphasizes the more affluent sector. Working-class people had far fewer photographs taken. Most Americam boys of all ages wore long pants. We do see some portraits of boys wearing shortened-length pants. They are almost entirely, boys from well-to-do famlies, primarily from fashionable north-eastern cities. Photographs of working-class families are much less common. And the portraits we have found all show boys wearing long pants.

Age Trends

We note very young voys wearing long panrts in the 1960s. 8:16 PM 11/1/2020It was common at the time for younger boys to wear dressesc and the new kilt suits. The age at which children were breeched varied from family. This occurred for most boys somewhere between 3-6 years old. At which time, most boys began wearing long pants. A good example is C. Stewart, a very young by in 1865, perhaps about 4 years old. Another example is Ollie Vail,an American boy about 7-8 years old. Tge boy here looks to be about 8 years old (figure 1). An American school portrait in the 1860s show most of the boys wearing long pants. Another example is two American brothers, pribably about 5-8 years old. The photographic record clearly shows that most boys, even younger boys wore long pants in the 1860s.

Regional Trends

Not only did most boys of all ages wear long pants, but when you move outside the fashionable cities, long pants were still almost universal. The images that we have collectd on shortened length pants does show that they were mostly from the bog northeastern cities.

Decade Trends

Shortened length pants somewhat more common by the end of the decde, but long pants were still still the dominant trouser type for American boys. And even younger boys common wore long pants after breeching. The average American boy did not begin wearing knee pants, however, until the late-19th century.

Social Class Trends

Shortened-length pants seem to have been mostly worn by younger boys from fashionable, well-to-do city families. This is even more apparent when we assess photograohic images not taken in the studio. They are not available in the same number as studio CDVs, but some do exist. A good example is a crowd outside a Christian Commission office during the Civil War. Most such images show boys, even younger boys, usually wearing long pants. This conforms what is suggested by the many studio portaits we have archived. Long pants were the standard wear of almost all Amrican boys except for the younger boys of affluent class with fashion oriented mothers. It is notable that the Lincoln boys wore long pants. Even there notoriously fashion obsessed Mrs. Lincoln dressed her boys in long pants. Here the fact that she came from Kentucky and lived in Illinois and not a major northeastern where European fashions were quicker to take hold may explain how she dressed the boys.







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Created: 11:35 PM 1/3/2014
Last updated: 10:26 PM 3/27/2022