Figure 1.--Here we see a typical example of 19th century age grading. The four brothers celerating Independence Day (July 4) with their grandfather during 1876. Notice the dfferent suit styles for the boys who look to range from about 4-13 years of age. The studio was Louis Nagel in Hoboken, New Jersey. Nagel was the name of a noted French studio at the time.

We see American boys wearing suits with both destintive jackets and pants throughout the 19th century. Age grading was not exclusive to the 19th century, but it was the decade when such conventions seem the most pronounced. The skeleton suit was a boys' style and very common throughout the early-19th century. Interesingly, long pants were initially a style for boys. Men especially men in comfortable cicumstances wore knee breeches. Only slowly did fashionable men begin wearing long pants. As the 19th century progressed more and more destinctions appeared for children of different ages, especially the boys. Frock coats with long jackets became popular with men. Boys tended to wear suits with shorter cut jackets. We also see a lot of boys not wearing suits, but jacket-like tunics. This began to change with wealth created by the Indurial Revolution began to change family live styles. We see boys wearing collar-buttoning jackets, cut-away jackets and sack suit jackets with lapels at mid century. The choice of jackets might be determined by age. We also see boys wearing shortened-length pants, although knee-length pants were rare. Decorative items gradually became very important in age grading. Age gradeing was very pronounced by the late-19th century. The photographic record shows that in was a convention widely practiced throughout America, although the approach varied from family to family. Here social-class factors were important. The type and size of collars came to vary widely, especially after the appearance f the Funtleroy craze. Neckwear was particularly common in the late-19th and early 20th century. Pants became increasing important in the late-19th century as an age gradeing factor.

The 1800s

We see American boys wearing suits with both destintive jackets and pants throughout the 19th century. Age grading was not exclusive to the 19th century, but it was the decade when such conventions seem the most pronounced, but this was primarily the case in the second half of the century. The skeleton suit was a boys' style and very common throughout the early-19th century, at least mostly for boys from urban families in confortable circumstances. Interesingly, long pants were initially a style for boys. Men especially men in comfortable cicumstances wore knee breeches. Only slowly did fashionable men begin wearing long pants. Without photography, however, it is very difficult to assess fashion trends, especially children's fashions.

The 1850s

As the 19th century progressed more and more destinctions appeared for children of different ages, especially the boys. e see nore boys wearing suits. Frock coats with long jackets became popular with men. Boys tended to wear suits with shorter cut jackets. We also see a lot of boys not wearing suits, but jacket-like tunics. This began to change with wealth created by the Industrial Revolution began to change family live styles. We see boys wearing collar-buttoning jackets, cut-away jackets and sack suit jackets with lapels at mid century. The choice of jackets might be determined by age. We also see boys wearing shortened-length pants, although knee-length pants were relatively rare, mostly boys from well-to-do urban families. We do see age grading in family portraits.

The 1860s

Suits for boys had become standard by the 1860s. And with the appearance of the CDV meant that the cost of a studio portrit substantilly declined. This is important because the lower cost meant that a much wider swath of society could afford studio portaits, meaning that the photographic record provides a more accurate view of overall fashion trends. We see this very clearly in the photographic record. Most of the portraits in the photographic record during the decade how boys wearing suits with jckets, althoughwe do see some buttob-on suits and tunics. There was substantial age grading which we can clearly see in family portraits.

The 1870s

The industrial expansion of the United underway in the late-19th century mean that more and moreamericans were leading comfortable lives and money was available for clothing and fashion. This is reflected in ho children were dressed. We continue to see boys mostly waring suits. The image here is a goos example and we seemany age grading eements (figure 1). There was substantial age grading which we can clearly see in family portraits.

The 1880s

Decorative items gradually became very important in age grading. Age gradeing was very pronounced by the late-19th century. The photographic record shows that in was a convention widely practiced throughout America, although the approach varied from family to family. Here social-class factors were important. The type and size of collars came to vary widely, especially after the appearance of the Funtleroy craze (1885). Neckwear was particularly common in the late-19th and early 20th century. Pants became increasing important in the late-19th century as an age gradeing factor. There was substantial age grading which we can clearly see in family portraits.

The 1890s

We see many of the same age grading trends we noted in he 1880s in the 1890s. This was the peak of the Funtleroy Craze. We think Fauntleroy suits were so popula tht many mothers breachd their sons earlier than they might ahve done so that they could outfit them in a Fauntleroy suit. This might have been a factor in the decline of the convention of dressing younger boys in dresses and other skirted garments. This was notable by mid decade. The use of decorative items were a particularly prevalent way of age grading. A factor here was how prevlent and visible decorative items were in the 1890s. Another major development was shifting age conventions associated with knee pants during the decade. By the end of the decade. knee pants not only had become shorter and stadardized at knee level, but they had become stndard. We not only seen then in rural areas, but being worn by working-clas boys as well as boys from families in comfortable middle-class circumstances. We also see older noys wearing knee pants by the end of the dcde which affected the use of pants as an age grading device. It meant that boys of quite awude age range, even including some teenagers who were wearing knee pants suits. There was substantial age grading which we can clearly see in family portraits.

Created: 12:50 AM 7/14/2014
Last updated: 111:22 AM 7/22/2016