Figure 1.-- This CDV is undated. We would guess it was taken about 1870, meaning the late-60s or very early-70s. The sharp corners of the mount confirm this dating. Blank walls weee less cinmon after thge 60s. An unidentified boy wears a skirted suit. The skirt has no elements of kilt construction and is not pleated. The material is not a plasid, but similar plaid. Unfortuntely we have no idea about the colors. The photographer was Seaver & Lothrop in Boston, Massachsettes. Notice the Peter Pan collar which was not yet called that.

Kilt suits are largely differentiated by the type of jacket. This was yhe general convention for suits. There were also different types of suits based on the skirted garment. Kilt suits were done with both kilts and plain skirts as well as skirted garments somewhere between the two. Many kilt suits were done with skirts that had various types of kilt styling amd we also notice quite a few of these outfits done with skirts that have no kilt styling at all or just pleating. We are not entirely sure how the skirted garments varied chronologically. We are not sure that we should treat these skirt suits as a separate type, they seem to be just a varriant of the kilt skirt. Probably many mothers simply diud not want to bother with the added complexity of kilt styling. We notice that mothers often chose plaid material even when doing plain skirts. The most common type of kilt styling was a front pannel and buttons. Many of these skirts were not even pleated. They be done in a plaid or plaid-like pattern, but they have no kilt styling. A good example is Benjamin Morris Whitlock in fashionable New York City during the late-1860s. He wears what looks to us to be a skirt, although it is pleated--wide box plears. The kilt styling used in kilt suits is not necesarily the styling of a real kilt, but here we are talking about any effort to differentiate it from a plain skirt. Often the skirts do not match the jackets. This was common with Fautleroy kilt suits, but not as common with other kilt suits. We blieve that these skirt outfits should be called a suit made with a skirt rather than a kilt as a jacketed skirt or skirt suit rather tham a kilt suit. The kilt/skirts were highly variable, but they did not determine the type of kilt suit. Even so we plan to have a close look at the kilts and skirts to assess the variations.

Types of Kilt Skirts

Kilt suits are largely differentiated by the type of jacket. This was yhe general convention for suits. There were also different types of suits based on the skirted garment. Kilt suits were not done with Highland kilts. Kilt suits were done with both kilts and plain skirts as well as skirted garments somewhere between the two. Many kilt suits were done with skirts that had various types of kilt styling amd we also notice quite a few of these outfits done with skirts that have no kilt styling at all or just pleating. We are not sure that we should treat these skirt suits as a separate type, they seem to be just a varriant of the kilt skirt. Probably many mothers simply diud not want to bother with the added complexity of kilt styling. We notice that mothers often chose plaid material even when doing plain skirts. The most common type of kilt styling was a front pannel and buttons. Many of these skirts were not even pleated. They be done in a plaid or plaid-like pattern, but they have no kilt styling. A good example is Benjamin Morris Whitlock in fashionable New York City during the late-1860s. He wears what looks to us to be a skirt, although it is pleated--wide box plears. The kilt styling used in kilt suits is not necesarily the styling of a real kilt, but here we are talking about any effort to differentiate it from a plain skirt. We believe that these skirt outfits should be called a suit made with a skirt rather than a kilt as a jacketed skirt or skirt suit rather tham a kilt suit. The kilt/skirts were highly variable, but they did not determine the type of kilt suit. Even so we plan to have a close look at the kilts and skirts to assess the variations.

Tartan Kilt Skirts

Tartan kilt kirts did not match the jackets. Jackets were virtually never done in the bright plaids used for kilts. Exceptions were very rare. A mother here has used a block pattern she no doubt decided looked somewhat like a Scottish plaid (figure 1). Such examples are very are. If thge jacket and kilt skirts do not match, by definition, the outfirs theoretically shouls not be called suits. we have decided to classify them as suits even though the tops and bottoms do not match. This was common when a bright plaid is used for the kilt skirt. Actual kilt suits tended to use more muted patterns. Commonly these plaid skirts, irinically did not have kilt styling. They were oftn used with Fautleroy kilt suits, creating a striking dark jacket and brightly colored plaid kilt skirt. The bright plaid were not very commonly with regular kilt skirts.

Chronology

We are not entirely sure how the skirted bottoms varied chronologically. W first see the kilt suits in the 1860s. They were popular through the 1890s and we still see some after the turn-of-the 20th century in the earky-1900s.

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Created: 8:30 AM 8/12/2010
Last updated: 4:25 PM 4/17/2014