Figure 1.--These three unidentified boys wear Highland kilts. They look to be about 3-9 years old. The two older boys wear identical outfits. The younger boys wears a Fauntleroy kilt suit with a cut-away jacket. We believe they are New York City boys. New Yorkers may recognize the building. The only diffeence in the outfits is that the younger boys have lace collars while their older brother has an Eton collar. We are not sure prescisely when the photigraph was taken, but it would have been some time around 1910.

Many American boys wore kilt outfits. They were primarily kilt suits for younger boys. These were not precisely kilts, but the term was commonly used. Actual Highland kilt outfits were less common. The Highland Kilt outfits were made up of a varietyy of garments. Boys were Scottish headwear. The Glengary caps were most common, sometimes worn with an eagle feather. Balmoral bonnets were also worn. Black, military styled jackets were popular, often worn with Eton collars. The kilts tended to have brighter patterns than the kilt suits. They were worn with sporrans and argyle knee socks. We believe Highland kilt outfits were mostly worn by boys from wealthy families like Franklin Roosevelt might wear them. Even kilt suits were primarily worn by children from affluent fmilies, but Highland kilt outfits we believe were indicators of very well-to-do families. Both the image projected and the cost of items like sporrans suggest to us that thry were mostly worn by boys from well healed families. While Highland outfits were not very common, they were worn. We have found several portraits of American boys wearing full Higland regalia, most commonly in the late 19th century up to about the turn-of-the 20th century. We even note one Highland outfit that one mother seems to have brought home from London, only with kneepants rather than a kilt. This was not very common. The age range for these Highland kilts is wider than for the kilt suits.

Popularity

Many American boys wore kilt outfits. They were primarily kilt suits for younger boys. These were not precisely kilts, but the term was commonly used. Actual Highland kilt outfits were less common.

Garments

The Highland Kilt outfits were made up of a varietyy of garments. Boys were Scottish headwear. The Glengary caps were most common, sometimes worn with an eagle feather. Balmoral bonnets were also worn. Black, military styled jackets were popular, often worn with Eton collars. Younger boys might wear lace or ruffled collars in the late-19th or early-20th century. A sholdersash and broach was worn in the more eklaborate outfits. The kilts tended to have brighter patterns than the kilt suits. Ufortunately we can't make out the colors. We do not know if trews were worn. The kilts hey were worn with sporrans and knee socks. We note both argyle patterns and dark solid colors used for te socks. We even note one Highland outfit that one mother seems to have brought home from London, only with kneepants rather than a kilt. This was not very common. Footwear was usually bucked or strap shoes. Daggers mightbe added, but boys being boys, most mothers decided that discression was the better part of valor and opted against the dagger.

Social Class

We believe Highland kilt outfits were mostly worn by boys from wealthy families like Franklin Roosevelt might wear them. Even kilt suits were primarily worn by children from affluent fmilies, but Highland kilt outfits we believe were indicators of very well-to-do families. Both the image projected and the cost of items like sporrans suggest to us that thry were mostly worn by boys from well healed families.

Chronology

While Highland outfits were not very common, they were worn in both the 19th and 20th centutu. We have found several portraits of American boys wearing full Higland regalia, most commonly in the late 19th century up to about the turn-of-the 20th century. Many Scotts setled in America, but we do not believe many commonly wore kilts. And we do not have any ecidence 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 Higland kikts (1840s). We are unsure just when this fashion was picked up in America. We are not yet sure about the 1840s-50s. The earliest Highland suit we have found so far dates to about 1870. We think it is likely that there there were boys wearing Highlamd kilts before this, but they wre not very common. And they all seem to bev formal portraits. We are unsure just to what extent the boys wore these outfits outside of having a portrait taken. We cintinued to see Highland kilts into the 1930s, but after World war II, most boys wearing Highland kilts did so as part of Scotting ethnic events.

Styles

There were two styles of Highland kilts, informal and formal kilt styles. Actual Scottish kilts were not extensively worn in America. Although the kilt suit offshoot was rather common. Some Scottish immigrants in the 18th century may have worn kilts, at least upon their arrival. I have, however, little information on this. It is likely that most immigrants quickly conformed to more accepted American clothing. HBC believes, however, that some American boys wore the Higland kilt as a formal dress outfit. In Scotland the Highland kilt was also worn informally. This was not the case in America. Most American boys would have been reluctant to wear kilts to school or informally like Scottish boys. Some wealthy American parents, however, did adopt the Higland kilt as a dress oufit in the late 19th century and in the early 20th century until World War I. HBC is not sure just who was wearing these outfits. Almost sure they were boys from wealthy families. Also it was boys of Scottish ancestry that would be most likely to wear them. HBC believes, however, that some mothers had their boys wear a Higland kilts because they liked the style, not because there were Scottish ancestors. See the example of Hiram Van Vliet Braman, hardly a Scottish name. HBC is unsure what the boys involved thought about the idea. It is likely that it was not very popular, but HBC can not yet confirm this. After the War the kilt became much less common.

Age

The age range for these Highland kilts is wider than for the kilt suits. We see boys of all ages wearing them in addition to teenagers.

Created: 2:52 AM 12/30/2004
Last updated: 4:36 AM 10/31/2010