Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows four American children with a pug dog. The pug of course reminds us of the classic American film, "Life with Father". The portrait is undated, we might guess the 1890s. The photographer was Ende located at 537 William Street, corner Krettner in Bufallo, New York. It is a rare American cabinent card that did not indicate the city and state. Notice the difference in the suit and neckwear of the younger and older boy. We are not entirely sure about the gender of the younger child at the left. (Double ports usully meant a boy.) Notice that this child has ringlets and the older girl has a long braid. Also of note is how the children are posed, note that none of the children are touching each other, also as if it was four discrete, individual portraits--only the pug gets a hug.

Suit styles have in part varied by age. We have collected information on the suits worn and different chronological ages. There have been many different styles and types of suits for boys of different ages. This included both jacket and pants styles. These styles have changed over time as well as the age groups that wore them. The basic pattern is that boys as they grew older wanted to wear styles similar to the styles worn by adult men. Over time the conventions have varied. At times men and boys wore essentially the same styles. At other time there were substantial differences between the suits worn by men and boys. The pattern here was not only chronological, but varied among counties as well as social class. Countries trends are complicated. Social class conventions are more straight forward. Working-class boys often left school early and when they did they commonly began dressing like their fathers. Middle-class boys were more likely to stay in school longer and to wear juvenile styles. There were a variety of age conventions associated with suits. Parents used a range of age gradeing devices. They included styles, neckwear, collars, and pants.

Chronological Years

Suit styles have in part varied by age. We have collected information on the suits worn and different chronological ages. There have been many different styles and types of suits for boys of different ages. This included both jacket and pants styles. These styles have changed over time as well as the age groups that wore them. The basic pattern is that boys as they grew older wanted to wear styles similar to the styles worn by adult men. Over time the conventions have varied. At times men and boys wore essentially the same styles. At other time there were substantial differences between the suits worn by men and boys. The pattern here was not only chronological, but varied among counties as well as social class. Countries trends are complicated. Social class conventions are more straight forward. Working-class boys often left school early and when they did they commonly began dressing like their fathers. Middle-class boys were more likely to stay in school longer and to wear juvenile styles.

Age Conventions

There were a variety of age conventions associated with suits. Parents used a range of age gradeing devices. Here the possible variations were very large, limited only by the imagination of the parents, usually mother. They included styles, neckwear, collars, and pants. Parents varied on the use of these devices. They chose various decices, the size and prominance of decices like collars and neckwear, and the age seen appropriate for the various devices. And the popularity of the different devices and the age appropriatemess has varied over time. Some parents might make big destintions such a Fauntleroy or other suits for the younger boys and sack suits for the older boys. Other parents might make destinctions in the boys outfits even if they were close in age and wearing identicak suits by varying the style and size of the collar and neckwear.

Created: 3:19 PM 6/2/2008
Last updated: 3:19 PM 6/2/2008