Figure 1.--Velvet is generally considered a luxurious fabric made. True velvet is quite expensive and made from silk. The image of a Fauntleroy suit is generally associated with velvet for boys wear, but velvet suits were worn well before the late 19th Century. Velvet is still considered a luxurious fabric, but now commonly made of synthetic fibers. This cabinet portrait shows a boy wearing a long velvet jacket, probably about 1800. The photigrapher was Bell in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Boys clothing has been made in a wide variety of fabrics. Aristocratic boys once wore fabrics such as brocades that we would today consider totaly unsuitable for boys. Some such as denim have been used for play and casual clothes. Others such a velvet have been made for elegant party suits. Other fabrics such as flannel, serge, cheviot, corduroy and many others have been used for a wide variety of different garments. Quite a variety of other fabrics, sometimes quite expensice such as cashmere, camelhair, and satin have been used for expensive boyswear. Some fabrics were once quite popular, such as chambray, cheviot, duck, and serge were once very commonly used for boys clothing, but now rarely seen. In recent years clothing has moved from formal styles to more utilitarian clothing and thus the hard wearing durable fabrics like denim and corduroy have become increasingly important. One particularly luxurious fabrics sometimes used for outfits to be worn by younger boys is velvet. Many fabrics have interesting modern historical stories denim and chino. Other fabrics date back many centuries if not millennia. Cashmere, camelgair, and silk were staples of the freat caravan trade. Several important synthetic fibers were developed in the 20th century. A fabric consists of two elements. First the material and second the weave. Wool for example is amaterial and herringbone is a weave. Many materials come in many different grades. This is especially true of wool. Cotton comes in so many different weaves that it almost seems like different material. Another factor is that many materials are belends of raw materials. There are many different fabrics used over time. Some of the terms are familiar to us today. Others are forgotten or unknown.

Fabric Usage

Boys clothing has been made in a wide variety of fabrics. Aristocratic boys once wore fabrics such as brocades that we would today consider totaly unsuitable for boys. Some such as denim have been used for play and casual clothes. Others such a velvet have been made for elegant party suits. Other fabrics such as flannel, serge, cheviot, corduroy and many others have been used for a wide variety of different garments. Quite a variety of other fabrics, sometimes quite expensice such as cashmere, camelhair, and satin have been used for expensive boyswear. Some fabrics were once quite popular, such as chambray, cheviot, duck, and serge were once very commonly used for boys clothing, but now rarely seen. In recent years clothing has moved from formal styles to more utilitarian clothing and thus the hard wearing durable fabrics like denim and corduroy have become increasingly important. One particularly luxurious fabrics sometimes used for outfits to be worn by younger boys is velvet.

Chronology

Some material and fabrics date back many centuries if not millennia. Materials like cashmere, camelhair, and silk were staples of the first caravan trade, although we have less information on specific weaves. Many fabrics have interesting modern historical stories denim and chino. Several important synthetic fibers were developed in the 20th century. Today the used of blended materials has become especially important, in paet because it reduced the need of ironing.

Elements

A fabric consists of two elements. First the material and second the weave. Wool for example is amaterial and herringbone is a weave. Many materials come in many different grades. This is especially true of wool. Cotton comes in so many different weaves that it almost seems like different material. There are also similar weaves made from differebnt materials, here the best example is velvet (silk) and cordroy (cotton). Another factor is that many materials are blends of raw materials. There are many different fabrics used over time. Some of the terms are familiar to us today. Others are forgotten or unknown. As a result we are not always sure if some terms refer to a material or a weave. As in some cases only one material is used for a fabric, like cotton for ribbed corduroy, the name of the fabric is the same as the weave. Another problem is that some fabrics were named as to deceive the consumer, such as sateen which is a cotton fabric made to suggest silk was used.

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web chronological pages:
[The 1840s] [The 1900s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s] [The 1960s]
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Created: March 16, 2000
Last updated: 4:33 AM 2/29/2008