Figure 1.-- This portrait like most tin-types is undated. We would guess because of the styling and light-colored long stockings as sell as the plain background that it was taken in the early-1870s. The boy had a straw hat woth a rounded crown and very wide colored hand band. Notice the large ruffled collar. It is not clear if he was wearing pantalettes or petticoats. Tin-types were often offered by low-cost studios. We are not sure if the boy's make-shift kilt suit was because he came from a limited-income family or that it was fairly early in the development of the kilt suit. Also norice the necklace.

Kilt suits were worn with a variety of accompanying clothes. Unfortunately we do not often see the headwear. American boys wore Kilt suits were worn with a variety of headwear, both caps and hats. We are not entirely sure about the different varities of headwear worn or their relative importance. Headwear was commonly worn in the 19th century, so most boys would have had a hat or cap worn wih his kilt suit. Part of the reason that our information is incomplete is that outdoor photography was not yet common place and studio portraits commonly do not show the head wear. We have begun to collect some images. Given the time that kilt suits were popular, we suspect that at least some boys wore rounded-crown hats. As sailor styles became more popular, some boys must have worn wide-brimmed sailor hats. Sailor styles were so popular that they were often worn with other stylles than sailor suits. Another option surely were Scotish styles like balmorals and glengarys. We see boys wearing lace and ruffled trimed blouses. This was affected some what by vests. Blouses were necessary with the bodice kilts. The kilts worn with vests usually had prominent collars, but usually less fancy than those worn with blouses. The fancy collars were not only worn with kilt suits, but boys often continued wearing them after being breeched and a kneepants sit purchased. Of course Fauntleroy suits were worn with large lace collars, but they were worn with other less fancy suits as well. The kilt suit was popular at a time when younger boys generally wore large floppy bows of different colors and patterns. These bows were not peculiar to kilt suits, but rather commonly worn with Fauntkeroy suits and other outfits as well. Kilt suits, unlike Higland kilts, were always worn with long stockings, never with kneesocks. This is certaonly the case in the United States, we are less sure for Britain at the time. This is a little surprising as one reason kilt suits became popular was that they were based on a skirted garment worn by men. Yet we have not yet found a portrait of an American boy wearing a kilt suit with knee socks. We do note a few American boys wearing Highland kilts and they do wear knee socks. But kiltsuits were always worn with long stockings. I am not sure just why these conventiobs were so strong. Normally there is a degree of diversity when large numbers of people were involved. But unlike most popular fasions, these conventiins were very strictly followed. Kilts were mostly worn in the late 19th Century. By this time pantalettes seem to be less common for children, especially for boys.

Headgear

American boys wore Kilt suits were worn with a variety of headwear, both caps and hats. We are not entirely sure about the different varities of headwear worn or their relative importance. Headwear was commonly worn in the 19th century, so most boys would have had a hat or cap worn wih his kilt suit. Part of the reason that our information is incomplete is that outdoor photography was not yet common place and studio portraits commonly do not show the head wear. We have begun to collect some images. Given the time that kilt suits were popular, we suspect that at least some boys wore rounded-crown hats. As sailor styles became more popular, some boys must have worn wide-brimmed sailor hats. Sailor styles were so popular that they were often worn with other stylles than sailor suits. Another option surely were Scotish styles like Balmorals and Glengarys.

Blouses and Collars

The shirt-like garments worn with kilt suits varied over time. When kilt suits first appeared boys tended to wear small collars. Bt the time the begam to go out of style, very large collrs were still fashionable. In many instances all we see is the collar. Many kilts suits were worn with vests covering up the shirt or blouse so all we see is thecollaror perhps wrist cuffs. With the onset of the Faintleroy Craze (1885), we begin to see boys wearing lace and ruffled trimed blouses. This was affected some what by vests. Blouses were necessary with the bodice kilts. The kilts worn with vests often had prominent collars, but usually less fancy than those worn with blouses. Eton collars were popular. Here we see a boy wearing a wide white collar (figure 1), but it is not possible to make out much detail. The fancy collars were not only worn with kilt suits, but boys often continued wearing them after being breeched and a knee pants suit purchased. Of course Fauntleroy suits were worn with large lace collars, but they were worn with other less fancy suits as well.

Neckwear

The kilt suit was a popular oufit for younger boys over three decades, the 1870s-90s. This was a time in which both collars and neckwear underwent enormous change. Neckwear was not a major aspect of boyswear in the 1860s and only somewhat more important in the 1870s. We see different kinds of neckwear. Bows were only one of the various types of neckwear. Many boys did not wear any neckwear with their kilt suits. These boys often had large collars of various types. Or they wore kilt suits with sailor styling. Bows were the most common, but we see ribbon ties and little ties that look like bow ties. These various types were more common for older boys in the 1870s. The bows and other types were relatively small in the 1870s. his changed dramatically in the 1880s, especisally after the early 80s. Bows became the dominant type of neckwear and the sizes rapidly escalated. We see boys in the later-80s and 90s wearing large floppy bows with kilt suits. This was the time when younger boys generally wore large floppy bows of different colors and patterns. Here the Fauntleroy Craze which began in the mid-80s was a major factor. These bows were not peculiar to kilt suits, but rather commonly worn with Fauntleroy suits and other outfits as well. As with Fauntleroy suits we see many boys wearing large collars with and without the large floppy bows.

Vests

Many kilt suits were worn with vests. We are not yey sure about the earlyb his was less true of the early kilt suits (1860s). Most of the subsequent kilt suits had vests (1870s and early-80s). This changed somewhat with the onset of the Fauntleroy kilt suit. Mothers did not want vests to cover up the fancy Fauntleroy blouses. The vests were almost always garments that matched the jacket and kilt-skirt. They were not really accompanying garments, but rather part of the suit itself.

Knee Pants

Some American boys wore kilt suits (but not skirts and dresses) with knee pants. This varied from family to family. Age may have been involved, but we see some quite young boys wearing knee pants. In was not the modst commonn alternative, but it was by no means unusual. In fact, some were young enough that were are a little surprised that they were already beeched. A good example is an unidentified boy who looks to be about 3-years old. We note quite a few examples. It is a little difficult be sure that they were knee pants and not pantalettes. Often all we have to go on is color. Pantalettes were usually, but not always, white. In contrst, white pants were unusual.

Overcoats

We have little information on the overcoats boys wore with kilt suits. This would have been common in the nirthern states. And as most boys wearing kilt suits generally came from families in comfortable circumstances, it would seem that they would also have purchased overciats. For the most parts, mothers during the winter had boys take off their overcoats for studio portraits. Thus while we have a very substantial collection of boys wearing kilt suits in our American archive, we have virtuly no images of these boys wearing overcoats. We believe that overcoats for younger boys tended to be similar to the overcoats worn by girls. We do not, howevr, have enough images to cofirm this. One image we have shows a boy wearing a white or light-colored coat, with dark contrasting piping. This seems to us like a coat a girl might have worn. Older boys more commonly wore dark-colored coats. The cut is also a little different below the waist to accomodate skirted garments.

Hosiery

Kilt suits, unlike Higland kilts, were always worn with long stockings, never with kneesocks. This is certaonly the case in the United States, we are less sure for Britain at the time. This is a little surprising as one reason kilt suits became popular was that they were based on a skirted garment worn by men. Yet we have not yet found a portrait of an American boy wearing a kilt suit with knee socks. We do note a few American boys wearing Highland kilts and they do wear knee socks. But kiltsuits were always worn with long stockings. I am not sure just why these conventions were so strong. Normally there is a degree of diversity when large numbers of people were involved. But unlike most popular fasions, these conventions were very strictly followed. You might have thought that given the Scittish dress connection that some boys would have worn knee socks. Knee socks were worn with Highland kilt outfits.

Footwear

American boys wearing kilt suits almost always wore high-top shoes. We rarely see strap shoes or other low-cut shoes. This was in part because high-top shoes were so so common. Some children did, however wear low-cut shoes. We are not sure why they were rarely worn with kilt suits.

Pantalettes

Kilts were mostly worn in the late 19th Century. By this time pantalettes were becoming less common for children, especially for boys. While they were still worn as late as the 1890s, they do not commonly show in portraits of boys wearing kilt suits. There are of course exceptions. We see a few images of boys wearing pantalettes that cover the boy's legs, but they are very rarte. This can be misleading. The style for pantalettes by the 1880s was for them not to show in the same way we note in the mid-19th century. Thus boys may well be wearing pantalettes even thus they can not be seen below the hem line of the kilts skirts. Some images show pantalettes or petticoats (it is often difficult to tell the difference) that just peak out at the hem. Notably kilt suits were often cut rarher long. It was quite common for boys to wear kilt skirts that fell to calf level, much longer than common for actual Highland kilts. Pantalettles were normally, but not always white. We also note boys wearing pants that were done in the same material as the kilt suit. A good example is Willie Beacon, we think about 1890. We are not sure if to consider these garments pantalettes or knee pants.

Petticoats

We think some boys wore petticoats with kilt suits, but it is often difficult to tell if the boys are wearing ptticoats or pantlettes. And petticoats were always worn so that they just peaked out at the hem of the skirt if they showed at all. The boy here is a good example, although it is not entirely clear if the boy is wearing pantalettes or petticoats (figure 1). We are not sure on what basis mothers decided such matters.

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Created: 11:48 PM 9/24/2009
Last updated: 4:25 AM 3/26/2015