Figure 1.--The boy here is flipping through a photograph album. The image is clear enough to make out the portraits in the photo album and even see the leaf decoration on the latches. His dog lies patiently at his feet. The boy is wearing a 2-piece styilized collar-buttoning suit. He has long knee pants and striped socks along with high-button shoes. His dog, who appears to be some type of Spaniel, has raised his head so there’s a bit of motion blur with the slow emuslsion speeds of the day. Handwritten on the reverse is “Ruth Williams & Fritz – 1878 – Aged 9 years”. (We are a bit puzzeled with Ruth as a boy's name.) The photographer is “Barr & Wright” of Houston, Texas.

We have considerable information on the 1870s thanks to the huge record left by the growing photographic industry, although it was still confined largely to the photographic studio. The industrialization of the United States was in full gear by the 1870s. And the impact on personal income can be seen not only in the larger Amerucan than European photographic inustry but also in how Americans and their children dressed. Americans were the best dressed people in the world. Fashion still eminated from Europe, but moreamericans could afford stylish clothing than Europeans because of the prevailing higher wages in America. We see a relatively new garment in the 1870s -- the kilt suit. We see some in the 1860s, but by he 1870s the kilt suit had beecome standars. Kilts suits originating in Briain were done in a wide range of styles. They became a very important garment for younger boys. In earlier years these boys would have still worn dresses. They were only worn by boys, especially boys from comfortable, established middle-class and upper-class families. The jackets of kilt suits were similar to some suits older boys wore with pants. Fancy suits like Fauntleroy suits were not yet very common. The cut-away jacket suits so popular in the 1860s continued to be worn in the early-70s, but were decling in popularity by the end of the decade. We do not yet note sailor suits as a major style, but we see some younger boys wearing them. We see a variety of both lapel and collar-buttoning suit jackets. The collar-buttoning suits were for younger boys. Older boys wore lapel jackets. The lapel suits were mostly single-breasted styls. Many were three-piece suis with vests. Vested suits were very common. Some of the jackets were heavily styilized. We begin to see more younger boys waring knee pants suits. We do not yet see knickers to any extent. The knee pants were commonly cut at calf level. The term knee pants is more derived from the actual shorter-cut pants of the 1890s. Most boys wore long pants suits. This included many younger boys and almost all older boys. Knee pants suits were still a largely urban fashion. Almost all boys in rural areas wore long pants. Teenagers even younger teens rarely wore knee pants even in fashionable cities.

Affluemce

Affluene directly affects fashion. We have considerable information on the 1870s thanks to the huge record left by the growing photographic industry, although it was still confined largely to the photographic studio. The industrialization of the United States was in full gear by the 1870s. And the impact on personal income can be seen not only in the larger Amerucan than European photographic inustry but also in how Americans and their children dressed. Americans were the best dressed people in the world. Fashion still eminated from Europe, but moreamericans could afford stylish clothing than Europeans because of the prevailing higher wages in America. American history text books rrely mention this and focus on on the teaments in the nig cities. Often the conditions are contrasted with modern standard. The textbooks rarely explain why Europeans flooded into America if onditions were so terrible. The answer of course is that cnditions in america were much better thn in Europe.

Kilt Suits

Younger boys by the 1870s commonly wore kilt suits. Kilts suits originating in Briain were done in a wide range of styles. They became a very important garment for younger boys. In earlier years these boyswould have still worn dresses. They were only worn by boys, especially boys from comfortable, established middle-class and upper-class families. The jackets of kilt suits were similar to some suits older boys wore with pants.

Jacket Styles

We see a quite a variety of suit jackets in the 1870s. There were notably more different styles than in the first half of the 19th century. This was important because so many boys wore suits at a time when boys wardrobes were so mimited. We see more boys wearing suits in the 1860s and this process continued in the 1870s. This was another reflection of the increasing prosperity in America as a result of industrialization. They included cut-away jackets, collar-buttoning jackerts, and sack suit jackets with laspels. Youngr boys commonly wore cut-saway or collar buttoning jackets. Older boys wore lapel jackets. The lapel suits were mostly single-breasted styls.

Trousers

We begin to see more younger boys waring knee pants suits. This was especially the case of fashionable city families. We do not yet see knickers. The knee pants were commonly quite long, cut at calf level. The Houston boy here is agood example (figure 1). They gave the impression of long pants the boy had outgrown. The term knee pants is more derived from the actual shorter-cut pants of the 1890s. Most boys wore long pants suits. This included many younger boys and almost all older boys. Knee pants suits were a kargely urban fashion. Almost all boys in rural areas wore long pants. Most boys wore long pasnts by the age of 10 and may at earlier ages. Teenagers rarely wore kneepants even in fashionable cities.

Created: 12:30 AM 2/14/2008
Last updated: 7:02 AM 4/10/2017