Figure 1.--Here we have cabinet card oportrait of an unidentified boyy wearung a Highland kilt, The studio was F. Guttekunst in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The portrait vis undated, but looks likc the 1870s to us. a

We have found several portraits of American boys wearing full Highland regalia, most commonly in the late-19th century up to about the turn-of-the 20th century. Many Scots settled in America, but we do not believe many commonly wore kilts. This was true when they first settled as well as subsequent generations of Scots, at least in the 19th century. And we do not have any evidence that Americans of Scottish ancestry wore kilts in the early- or mid-19th century. We think Highland outfits for boys primarily sparked by the British royal family. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert began dressing the royal princes in Highland kilts (1840s). When Queen Victoria dressed the princes in Highland kilts during the 1840s, she popularized the kilt as a boy's outfit. She created a fashion sensation. The style spread to Europe. We are unsure just when this fashion was picked up in America. We are not yet sure about the 1840s-50s. Some reports suggest that American mothers who looked to England an Europe for their fashion inspiration by the mid-1850s had begun adopting the style for their sons. We have not yet found much evidence of that in the photographic record. American fashion magazines were soon depicting kilts as fashionable boys wear and this continued until the turn of the century. Godeys Lady Book and Magazine in 1870, for example, described a Scottish outfit: "Short pleated skirt striped silk poplin. Jacket of gros grain with square-cut basques black braid trim. Full cambric shirt, no waistcoat." [Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, January 1870, p.108.] Wealthy American families like the Roosevelts commonly dressed their boys in kilts complete with sporrans or various forms of Scottish inspired dress. Unlike boys suits and even kilt suits, they were worn with knee socks (usually Argyles), rather than long stockings. The Highland kilt was not the most common type of kilt worn by American boys, but they were worn by boys in affluent families. They were most common in America during the late-19th Century. Unlike the kilt suit, Highland kilts were mostly worn by boys from wealthy families. While middle-class boys might wear kilt suits, it was not commonly for them to wear full Highland regalia. The earliest Highland suit we have found so far dates to about 1870 (figure 1). We think it is likely that there there were boys wearing Highland kilts before this, but they were not very common. And they all seem to be formal portraits. We are unsure just to what extent the boys wore these outfits outside of having a portrait taken. The boys involved were not necessarily of Scottish ancestry. They were, however, mostly boys from affluent families. A good example is Franklin Roosevelt in the 1880s.

Early-19 Century (1800-40)

Many Scots settled in America. This as a substantial part of the Scottish diaspora, but was a very small part of the European settlement of the United States. Scotland is a very small country, especially in terms of population. Even with a substantial number of Scottish emigrants coming to America, it was a very small part of the huge number of Europeans coming to America. We do believe many commonly wore kilts when they arrived in America. This is our belief, we can not confirm the dress of arrivals at this time. Of course this was before photography. And there are few available paintings. This was true when they first settled as well as subsequent generations of Scots in theearly-19th century.

The 1840s

The kilt was not an important fashion item. It was actually discouraged by the English who dominated Scotland. Princess Victorian became Queen (1837). She married Price Albert (1840) and the six children began coming almost immediately. This is important because Princes Victoria as a young girl became enthralled with the lore of Scotland. And when the children came, Victoria and Albert began dressing them in kilts, launching a new popular style for boys. A the time, what the royals wore is what many people wanted to wear and how they wanted to dress their children. We think Highland outfits for boys primarily sparked by the British royal family. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert began dressing the royal princes in Highland kilts (1840s). The Queen created a fashion sensation. The style spread to Europe. We are unsure just when this fashion was picked up in America. Photography was invented in France (1839). It quickly spread to America. And we soon had far more images to work with ever before, but the numbers were still a relatively small number of images. The photography industry was just beginning and a Daguerreotype was still relatively expensive.

The 1850s

The photographic industry and number of images expanded in the 1850s. Of ciourse nothing like what was o come, but far more images than before photograph was invented. We have more images and new formats, including the less expensive Ambrotypes and Daguerreotypes. The English royals of course impacted their British subjects more than America, but British fashion trends had a major impact on American fashion. American mothers, especially fashion conscious mothers, looked to England and Europe for their fashion inspiration. Some began adopting kilts for their sons. We have found some limited evidence of that in the photographic record. The earliest Highland suit we have found so far dates to the late-1850s. It was an Ambrotype from Mobil Alabama. there were also some kilt suits.

The 1860s

It was with the albumen process beginning with the CDV that we begin to see really blarge nimbers of images. Numbers are nmore imprtant because the larger mumbers give frarer baliduity to thefamshion trends we note.

The 1870s

American fashion magazines were soon depicting kilts as fashionable boys wear and this continued until the turn of the century. Godeys Lady Book and Magazine in 1870, for example, described a Scottish outfit: "Short pleated skirt striped silk poplin. Jacket of gros grain with square-cut basques black braid trim. Full cambric shirt, no waistcoat." [Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, January 1870, p.108.] Here we see an American boy about 1870 wearing a Highland kilt outfit. (figure 1). We know there were boys wearing Highland kilts earlier, but the photographic record suggests that they were not very common. Much less common than kilt suits. And they all seem to be formal portraits. We are unsure just to what extent the boys wore these outfits outside of having a portrait taken. The boys involved were not necessarily of Scottish ancestry. They were, however, mostly boys from affluent families.

The 1880s

Wealthy American families like the Roosevelts commonly dressed their boys in kilts complete with sporrans or various forms of Scottish inspired dress. Franklin wore all kinds of skirted garments. We hve images of Franklin because he became ao prominent, but many less famous children in the same circumstances were pribably dressed like this. Unlike boys suits and even kilt suits, they were worn with knee socks (usually Argyles), rather than long stockings. The Highland kilt was not the most common type of kilt worn by American boys, but they were worn by boys in affluent families. They were most common in America during the late-19th Century. Unlike the kilt suit, Highland kilts were mostly worn by boys from wealthy families. While middle-class boys might wear kilt suits, it was not commonly for them to wear full Highland regalia.

The 1890s

We have found several portraits of American boys wearing full Highland regalia, most commonly in the late-19th century up to about the turn-of-the 20th century.

Created: 4:45 AM 12/9/2009
Last updated: 12:57 AM 8/6/2024