Figure 1.--Mny of these Cleveland boys are wearing peaked caps with rounded grounds in 1911. At the time the flat cap was becoming increasingly common, but the peaked cap was very popular in the very early 20th century. Notice how allthe boys are wearing caps.

We notice boys wearing a variety of cloth peaked caps with rounded crowns. We are not yet sure about the chronology. They appeared in Britain in the mod-19th cenurt. We ntice them in America in the 1880s, but they may have appeared earlier. They were even vworn with Fauntleroy suits--one of several different stylesw. They were popular in the 1890s and 1900s, but only one of a varirty of caps. They were worn for both dress and casual wear. Some private schools adopted them as part of the school uniform. American boys did not commonly wear school uniforms. We see a few boys wearing this cap to school in the early 20th century. Mant flat caps in the early 20th century were not real flat, looking somewhat like the peaked cap. We do see some boys earing these caps to school. They were more commonly worn by boys at private schools, some of which did have uniforms. Bythe 1910s they were generally replaced as casual wear by the flat cap. The flat cap was not adopted as a school uniform item. The peaked cap declined in popularity during the 1910s, especially as a casual cap style. The peaked cap, howevcer, did not disaapear. It became more associated as a younger boys dress cap. They were often bought to match suits. The American Eton suit is especially associated with these caps, but they were not the only suits worn with them. Rhe peaked cap with suits was a style most common with affluent families. It was considered stylish through the 1960s. The peaked cap was also adopted as the official Cub cap by the Boy Scouts in 1930.

Created: 12:44 AM 5/17/2009
Last updated: 12:44 AM 5/17/2009