Child's suit

ID:

57.128/1

Production date:

1784-1790

Location:

In Store

In the second half of the 18th century, specific clothing for children began to be developed and they were no longer dressed like little adults. This change was furthered by the publication of the novel 'Émile or, On Education' by the French philosopher Jean-Jeacques Rousseau in 1762, which presented a new understanding of the developing child.  < ...Read more

In the second half of the 18th century, specific clothing for children began to be developed and they were no longer dressed like little adults. This change was furthered by the publication of the novel 'Émile or, On Education' by the French philosopher Jean-Jeacques Rousseau in 1762, which presented a new understanding of the developing child.

This two-part outfit for a little boy would have been called a 'skeleton suit' and became fashionable in the 1780s. It was still remembered by Charles Dickens in 1839 as ‘an ingenious contrivance for displaying the full symmetry of a boy’s figure, by fastening him into a very tight jacket, with an ornamental row of buttons over each shoulder, and then buttoning his trousers over it, so as to give his legs the appearance of being hooked on, just under the armpits.’

This particular suit is made of printed cotton, now much faded, which originally might have looked a little bit like denim. The buttons are made of brass and are incised with a simple flower motif. The shirt and shoes are reproductions. < Hide

Measurements

L 700 mm (whole), L 230 mm (jacket), L 480 mm (trousers), L 370 mm (sleeve), C 580 mm (chest), C 590 mm (waist), C 650 mm (hips), W 290 mm (shoulders), W 16 mm (button)

Materials

cotton; linen; brass; silk

Last Updated

2024-03-14