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One of the patterns we tend to note for boy dresses is plaid. We assume this was popular for boys because plaid was the pattern used for the kilts worn by Scottsmen and Queen Victoria had helped make the kilt a boys garment. It was the kiltsuit that became an especially popular boys' garment. We are not sure about the colors used, but believe they were mostly bright red shades. Girls also wore plaid, but it seems more common for boys. At least we have found many more images of boys wearing plaid dresses than girls. (Here we are assessing the dresses worn by younger children because there were far few older boys wearing dresses.) We do not yet have much information on other patterns, but we have noted numerous portraits of boys wearing plaid dresses. Here the connection with plaid kilts worn by men and boys presumably was a factor. Interestingly the plaid used for dresses could be quite bright patterns. The plaids commonly used for kilt suits, however, were mormally dark muted plaids. We notice both dresses done in plaid and dresses in which plaid material is used as trim. Plaid trim was also sometimes used on caps.
One of the popular patterns we tend to note for boy dresses is plaid. We do not yet have much information on other patterns, but we have noted numerous portraits of boys wearing plaid dresses. Here the connection with plaid kilts worn by Scottish men and boys presumably was a factor. We assume this was popular for boys because plaid was the pattern used for the kilts worn by Scottsmen and Queen Victoria had helped make the kilt a boys garment. The kilt earlier had been a male garment, but Queen Victoria and Prince Albert helped turn it into a popular boys garment. The kilt itself was never especially popilar in America. It was the kiltsuit that became an especially popular boys' garment. Plaid of course became associated with boy's wear. Plaid was widely worn. Actually Scottish families in America were only a small part of the many families who used plaid garments. Unlike Scotland, Americans tended to use plaid as a style without any realreference to family tartans.
Our chronology of American plaid dressess at this time is very limited. As far as we know, it is a 19th century phenomenon. Interestingly it is a fashion that was roughly conincident with photohraphy which is HBC's principa; source of information. Plaid became an important pattern after Queen Victoria began outfitting the young princes in tartan kilts (1840s). This created a fashion for boys outside of Scotland wearing Highland kilts. The Higland kilt never proved very popular in America, but the related kilt suit did become a major style. A related development was that mothers began using plaid material for children's clothing. We are not sure how common this was in Britain, but we have seen English plaid dresses for boys. We know it was very common in America. Both boys and girls wore plaid dresses, but it was particylarly popular for boys. We are not sure about the 1840s, but we definitely see American boys wearing plaid tunics in the 1850s. We are less sure about the 1860s, but we see quite a number of plaid dresses by the 1870s and this continued through the 1890s. After the turn-of-the 20th century, dresses for boys rapidly went out of style.
As a result of the association with kilts, plaid material became a popular pattern for boys wear. We see many children wearing plaid dresses in the second half of the 19th century. We can often, but not always identify the gender of the children. While only boys for the most part wore kilts, it should not be assumed that plaid dresses were only for boys. We notice many girls also wearing plaid dressess. Plaid was, however, especially popular for boys' dresses. While girls also wore plaid, they had many more patterns that were popular. Plaid seems more common for boys than for girls, at least more prevalent in the photographic record. At least we have found many more images of boys wearing plaid dresses than girls. (Here we are assessing the dresses worn by younger children because there were far few older boys wearing dresses.)
We are not sure about the colors used in plaid dresses because of the black and white photography of the day. Plaid of course used many colors, but many had an overall color orientation. We note red, blue, and green plaids. Red was surely the most popular, and we suspect that this was the case for most boys' plaid dresses. Probably bright reds. This contrasted with kilt suits which were generally dark, muted plaids. Interestingly the plaid used for dresses could be quite bright patterns. The plaids commonly used for kilt suits, however, were mormally dark muted plaids.
We notice both dresses done completely in plaid as well as dresses in which plaid material is used as trim. We have found quite a number of portaits with boys wearing plaid dresses. They were done in many different styles. Plaid trim was also sometimes used on caps.
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