Figure 1.--This illustration appeared in a French fashion magazine. Unfotunately we do not yet have the title and date. We would guess that ir was some time in the 1820s or 30s, probably the 30s. The caption reads: " La promenade sous le berceau . Les deux petites demoiselles qui forment le berceau, sont parties de la même jambe." This 19th century text is a bit difficult to understand. More modern French would be, " La promenade sous le jeu de corde , Les deux petites demoiselles ensemble sont parties du même pied." This would mean in English something like, "Walking while skipping rope. The two young ladies which are about to jump have started on the same foot. I was hoping it was a comment on the clothing, but rather it is about the girls who are jumping rope. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

We do not have precise details on when tunic suits first appeared in France. We believe tht it was a style that appeared in the early 19th century. They were being worn in the mid-19th century. How much earlier they appeared I do not know, but it was presumably early in the 19th century. We see the Hugo boys wearing Tunics about 1835. HBC has developed information on one 1850s tunic suit that appeared in a Belgian fashion magazine. (We mention it here because we still have limited French 19th century material and believe Belgian boys' fashions to be generally similar to French fashions.) Another example is the Caplain brothers in Paris about 1870. We notice a boy wearing a heavily embroidered tunic suit about the same time. They clearly were one of the most popular children's styles by the turn of the century. They were worn throughout the 1900s and early 1910s, but declined in popularity during World War I (1914-18). I'm not sure why this was, but perhaps such fashions which accentuated childish innosence were just not in keeping with the horrors of the war. We note a number of French boys weraring them. They seem especially common in French post cards, suggesting that they were a fashionable style. These tunics were little seen by the 1920s, especially by mid-decade.

The 19th Century

We do not have precise details on when tunic suits first appeared in France. We believe tht it was a style that appeared in the early 19th century. They were clearly being worn in the period following the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Here our information is some what limited. We note substantial variations on the length of the tunic. As best we can tell they they were being worn with knee pants rather than bloomer knickers. With the invention of photography we have more information on the mid-19th century. How poular they were earlier we do not know, but it was presumably early in the 19th century. We see the Hugo boys wearing Tunics about 1835. HBC has developed information on one 1850s tunic suit that appeared in a Belgian fashion magazine. (We mention it here because we still have limited French 19th century material and believe Belgian boys' fashions to be generally similar to French fashions.) Another example is the Caplain brothers in Paris about 1870. We notice a boy wearing a heavily embroidered tunic suit about the same time.

The 20th Century

Tunics were were one of the most fashionable children's styles at the turn of the century. We are less sure about the populrity of tunics. We note tunic suits being worn with both bloomer knickers and knee pants. We are unsure about the populsarity. We seem to see more images in commercial postcards than family snapshots. This suggest that they were more common among fashionable, affluent families. They so not seem to have been worn much by working-class children. They were worn throughout the 1900s and early 1910s, but declined in popularity during World War I (1914-18). I'm not sure why this was, but perhaps such fashions which accentuated childish innosence were just not in keeping with the horrors of the war. We note a number of French boys weraring them. They seem especially common in French post cards, suggesting that they were a fashionable style. They seem to have been, however, much more popular in America. These tunics were little seen by the 1920s, especially by mid-decade.