Figure 1.--This 1/6 plate cased Daguerreotype of an unidentified boy looks to us like it was taken in the 1840s, but we can not yet confirm that. Notice the loud, obviously coloful vest. Also notice the stock in a bright pattern. Often these stocks were black. Also notice that it is the trasition to becoming a bow. And notice how dischelved his suit jacket looks.

We note boys wearing vests with and without suit jackets in the mid-19th century. Suits were not as common in the 1840s as they were later in the century. This may reflect the still developing American economy. A suit jacket was an expensive clothing item. The more common appearance of suit jackets after mid-century may be more than a fashion change and reflect great affluence. One of our best sources on clothing trends is the photograpic record which becomes available in the 1840s. This was was mostly Daguerreotypes in the 1840s. The problem with Dags is it is not easy to differentiate between 1840s and 1850s Dags. We think we can identify some, but welcome reader comments. Three-piece suits were common in the 19th century. Normally vests in the mid-19th century contrasted with the vest, especially in the 1840s. At the time it was also actually not common for jackets and trousers to match. And oftren the vests not only often did not match, but were done in bold patterns and bright colors. We see an unidentified young teenager wearing a bold plaid vest in the 1840s. An exception was the frock coat suit which was not a boys' style. We also see teenagers wearing somber frock coats with black vests matcing their coats. A good example is Clarence E. Summer, we believe in the 1840s, perhaps the early-50s. We also see boys wearing vests without jackets.

Usage

We note boys wearing vests with and without suit jackets in the mid-19th century. Our archive is fairly limited so we can not yet assess prevalence.

Suits

Suits were not as common in the 1840s as they were later in the century. This may reflect the the developing American industrial economy. A suit jacket was an expensive clothing item. The more common appearance of suit jackets after mid-century may be more than a fashion change and reflect great affluence as part of the growing industrial economy in the North. Three-piece suits were common in the 19th century. Normally vests in the mid-19th century contrasted with the vest, especially in the 1840s. At the time it was also actually not common for jackets and trousers to match. Note how the boy in the image here wears a suit jacket that looks rather dishelved (figure 1). This is surprising and something we do not see in the painted portraits of the early-19th century. It is not a matter of poverty. Boys having Dag portrats taken came from families in compfortable circumstances. Even so we see quite a few boys and adults wearing suits that look his way. Not everyone looks fishelved in these early Dags, but quite a few boys and men do. The girls and ladies look smartly dressed, but for some reson not may of the boys and men. This might have been the case earlier, but in the 1830s people haing their portraits painted by an artist were much more affluent than many of the the middle-cass families having Dag portraits done. And of course the artist could improve on the sitters attire.

Photography

One of our best sources on clothing trends is the photograpic record which becomes available in the 1840s. This makes the 1840s a unique decade. It is the first decade for which we are not depednt on paintings. An photographic images in the 1840s was the Daguerreotype. The problem with Dags is it is not easy to differentiate between 1840s and 1850s Dags. Ambros and tin-types dates to the 50s, but virtually all 1840s photographis portraits ere Dags. We think we can identify some, but welcome reader comments.

Vest Characteristics

Vests had the same V-cut as suit jacketts. There ws no readt-made manyfacture in the 1840s. Thus the exact cut varied. Some look more like a U-cut, but tghe basic V-cut was standard. Very commonly suits vests did not match suit jackets. Not only did the vests not match, but were often done in bold patterns and bright colors. We do ot know about the 1830s, but the vests that did not match the suit jacket were common. This is not to say that all the vests did not mrch. Some did, but the historical record clearly shows that mny did. Not only did they not match, but the vests were often a blaze of bright colors and bold ptterns. This was not a boy's style. Adults also wore these brihghtly color vests, at least young men. We see an unidentified young teenager wearing a bold plaid vest in the 1840s. An exception was the frock coat suit which was not a boys' style. We also see teenagers wearing somber frock coats with black vests matcing their coats. A good example is Clarence E. Summer, we believe in the 1840s, perhaps the early-30s close to the 30s. We also see boys wearing vests without jackets. We think by the mid-1850s, the bright, coloful vests were no longer common.

Created: 12:38 AM 3/4/2014
Last updated: 2:59 PM 10/5/2017