Figure 1.--The three kiltsuits on the left are one-piece suits. The first one has a ginham kilt and plaid stockings. The second one has a small bow at the front of the kilt. The third is pleated all around and has a low belt. The fourth has the flat pannel at the front with double breasted styling on the kilt, but single breasted styling on the jacket. Notice how they all button at the neck with no large collars or bows.

Stern Brothers was I believe a New York store catering to a wealthy clientel. They advise customers, "We direct attention to our unsually well selected stock of Boys' Clothing, made from the best class of imported and Domestric Fabrics. Style, make, and fit will be unsurpased. By stating age, length of outside seam of sleeve from centre of back to wrist, and outsude seam of pants or kilts, we can assure a perfect fit."

An assessment of their 1885 catalog suggests the following:

Breeching: Boys appaer to have been commonly breeched from 4 to 7 years of age. We know that because kilt suits came in sizes from 2 1/2 to 6 years and kneepants began at 4 years. This meant that boys younger than 2 1/2 years still wore dresses. Beginning at 2 1/2 some, but not all boys would begin wearing more boyish kilt suits. At 4 some, but again not all, boys would get their first pair of pants. Other boys would continue to wear dresses and kilt suits. The largest kilt suit size was 6, but a boy would presumably wear it for at least a year. Thus boys of 7 or even 8 might still be wearing kilt suits or even dresses. Most boys by this age, however, would be wearing kneepants. Dresses: I do not have all of the pages so I am unsure if dresses were offered for boys.

Figure 2.--The kilt suit in the left center is a sailor suit kilt. The center right saiolor suit has Norfolk styling. Notice how both kilts have a plain front pannel with double breasted styling. The two kneepants sailor suits show little of the classic sailor suit styling with white stripes.

Kiltsuits: Almost all of the kilt suits employ the same material for the jacket and kilt, clearly distinguishing them from the true Scottish kilt with its bright plaid contrasting with a usyally solid colored jacket. There are also few if any Highland accesories like sporans. Most of the kilt suits have jackets with prominent button work, usually single breasted. One kilt suit has Norfolk styling. Double breasted button work was more common on the kilt. The pleat work on the kilt varies. Several have straight fronts with double breasted work instead of pleats all around. Several of the kilt suits are one-piece suits. One has a belt place low down on the suit. Another has a small bow as part of the styling in the front of the kilt. The klits range in size from 2 to 6 years, most are from 2 1/2 to 6 years. The most common colors are blue and brown, but some are available in green. The most common material is flannel, but includes chambray, cheviot, ladies cloth, tricot cloth, cassimere, and even ginham. One suit has a gingham plaid skirt.

Figure 3.--All the boys suits pictures in sizes through 13 had kneepants. There was sailor styling, Norgoloks suits, and plaited jackets for the younger boys. Grey, blue, and brown were the most common colors.

Sailor suits: Three styles of sailor suits are offered, showing that the sailor suit has become an important boys style. The sailor style is not, however, dominate and the styles are not the traditional ones that will so domimnate boys fashions in he 1890s and 1900s. Note the absence of the clearly defined middy blouse or the three white stripes that were such an important part of future sailor suits. One of the sailor suits is a jersey suit, meaning the middy blouse is pulled on over the head and does not have a button front. The two sailor suits shown begin at size 4 and runs trough 10, the other two through 12 years. Both come with kneepants only. They come in dark blue/navy, grey, brown, and garnet (dark red). Despite the fact that it is spring, there are no white suits which were to become popular in the 1990s.

Fauntleroy suits: No suits are offered with Fauntleroy styling.

Collars: One notable feature is that the suits for younger boys had small collars that buttoned at the neck. They were designed to be worn closed and were not worn with a fancy blouse underneath. None are picture with large lace collars worn with floppy bows. The older boys' jackets have lapels and are not buttoned at the neck, but they are small lapels worn very high up on the jacket, showing very little of the shirt worn underneath. All of these styles have buttoned collars or sailor suits with a garment or dickey high up on the neck. None of the comfortable open neck styles of the early 19th Century are available.

Figure 4.--The second suit here was the only double-breasted jacket. Many of these suits were made for younger (5-9) and older (9-13) boys. The basic difference was that the jackets (called blouses) of the younger boys had collars and buttoned at the neck while the older boys had rolling collars now referred to as lapels.

Suits: The suits are primarily single breasted. Only one suit is offered in the double breasted style. The suits come in two types. The one for younger boys tend to have pleated jackets (referred to as blouses), avilable in sizes from 4 or 5 to 9 years. These suits button at the neck rather than being worn open so a shirt and collar show underneath. One of these pleated jacket suits is available in sized for older boys, but with a rolling collar. Several styles of suits are available without the pleated jackets. They are available in sized for both yonger (5-9 years) and older boys (9-13 years), the difference being that the jackets for younger boys buttoned at the collar while the older boys had rolling collars. Materials include wool plaid, mixed, pin check, corkscrew diagonal, and all wool cheviot, and cassimere.

Pants: All of the suits offered for boys come with kneepants. There are no long pants suits available for boys. The largest sizes are for boys of upto 13 years. I do not at this time have the pages
for older boys.

Stockings: All of the boys are pictured wearing long stockings. One boy, the boy with the ginham kilt, wears stockings that appear to be plaid.

Caps: Headgear is pictured with only two outfits. One kilted boy wears a brimless cap looking somewhat like a pillbox. The other is a flat top, relatively narrow brim sailor hat worn with a sailor suit.

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Created: March 23, 1999
Last updated: March 23, 1999