Figure 1.--Herev we see two Connecticut chikldre, we gthink in the 1900s decade. The caninrt card ortrait is undated, but the mountbsuggests thev 1900s decade. Rge children look to be about 4-7 years old. The boy wears a double-breasted knee-pants suit. Note the lack of Fauntleroy styling. We think he has a floppy bow, but it is covered up. The girl wears a dress with embroidered and unusual fur detailing. The studio was M.T. Morse in Derby, Connecticut.

Just as suits became steadily more commin for American boys in the 19th century. The reverse is true foir the 20th century, especially after World War I in the 1920s. Suit were, hiwever, very commin at the onset of the 20th cdentury in the 10900s decade. We continue to see large numbers of boys wearing double-breasted jackets in the early-20th century. Actually, the 1890s and 1900s decades were the two most popular decades for double breasted styling. We see that in both the photographic record and the mail order catalogs. And this was nogt just for the upper and mioddle-class boys. We se working-class boys wearing these suits as wwell. A good exmple is Tom Epperson in 1908-09. You begin to see a gradual shift to single-breasred jackets, esoecially noytable after Wirkd War I in the 1920s. Double-breasted jackets came to be seen as more formal. You do not see sport jackets commonly being made as double-breasted jackets. After the 1950s we mostly see boys wearing single-breasted suit jackets. As a youth in the 1950s, I saw double-breasted jackets as rather old fashioned. The War may have been a factor when styles using less fabric were favored. There were some notable variations. Double-breasted jackets, like single-breasted jackets were made in different styles, including blazers. Double-breasted jackets, however, were less likely to be done in the various destinctive jacket styles. Rather most double-breasted jackets over time seem to have been done in a basically similar style.

Created: 1:41 PM 6/1/2023
Last updated: 1:41 PM 6/1/2023