*** English boy clothes -- suits types collar-buttoning jackets








English Boys Suits: Types--Collar-buttoning Jackets


Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows an unidentified English boy wearing a velvet collar-buttoning jacket with longish knee pants as was common at the time. Note the small ruffled collar and bow. This modest neckwear was common before the Fauntleroy Craze of the 1880s. The outfit is completed with a wide-brimmed hat carefully positioned to show his hair, light-colored long stockings and high-top shoes. The portrait is undated, but we would guess the 1870s, perhaps the early-80s. This was just as England was begining to build a public (state) education system. He looks to be about 5 years old. The studio was Herriott in Berwick on Tweed.

We also see English boys wearing suit jackets that buttoned at the collar meaning there were no lapels. We do not always see the actual button because of collar and neckwear, but the collar-buttoning style is apparent. It was a very common style very common style. We are not sure just when it first appeared. Almost certainly it was in the mid-19th century, probanly the 1940s. It oersusted into the early-20tyh century. We are not sure about the origins, but it may have been influenced by military styles. It certainly was in America ehere it wa the style worn by Federal soldiers. We are less sure about England. Fashions generlly developed in England and France and other European countries and spread across the Atlantic to America. This may not be the case here. A lot of American collar-buttoning jackets were done with military styling like brass buttons. We do not see this in Britain, but we also do not have as large an English archive as our American archive. We do see a few English images of boys wearing these jackets, but not nearly as many as in Anetic and only from the 1860s. Our very limited English archive from this period makes it difficult to assess the chonology with any percission. We have been able to archive very few English Dags (1840s-50s) and Ambros (1850s). The earlier Dags and Ambros are much less common in England than America. We first begin to see the collar-buttoning jackets when CDVs become available in quantity (1860s). From this period we do have a considerable archive and information on English fashion trends. We see collar buttoning jackets throuhout the rest of the 19th century and into the early-20th century. They were a boys' style. We do not see men wearing them. This seems to have been a style common for low-cost suits for boys, but we also see them done in velvet which would have been for more well-to-do fmilies. Social class factors msy hve been involved here, which of course affected who was taking their children to the photographic studio. We note two types of collar buttioning hackerts, those with nd without collars conncted to the jacket nd done in the same material. This is not always easy to identify because some collars, like the lace collar the boy here is wearing. covered the top of the jacket (figure 1).

Terminology

We call these suits collar-buttoning suits, basically a description. We are not sure what they were called at the time in England. We see one company sescribing them as 'Sultan Suits.' presumbly referring to the collar buttoning. (Note that based on offerings tyhat collar buttoning suiys were only a small part of the chouces available.) This seems, however, to be a store name, not one widely accepted by the industry. Norfolk suits were also done as collar buttoining suits, but they were called Norfolk suis because of the destinctive stylking of vertical pleats and belts.

Collar Button

We also see English boys wearing suit jackets that buttoned at the collar meaning there were no lapels. We do not always see the actual button because of collar and neckwear, but the collar-buttoning style is apparent. Collars and neckwear were small in the 1860s-70s, but becane very latge in the 80s-90s, thus naking it difficult to determine the collr finish og these suits. As best we can tell, boys almost always secured the collar button.

Types

We note two basic types of collar buttoning jackets, those with and without collars. The collars that some had were conncted to the jacket were done in the same material. This is not always easy to identify because some collars, like the lace collar the boy here is wearing, covered the top of the jacket (figure 1). We do not notice really large collars, but thu were real collzrs that can be eaily seen is covdered by a large detachable collar. Both the jackets with and without collars were worn with detchable collars. Younger boys might wear lace collars. Older boys mostly wore Eton collars with these collar buttoning.

Style

Almost all of these collar buttoning jckets are cut short with instead of lapels, a single vertical column of buttons like the boy here (figure 1). There were a range of stylistic differences, but the basic chracterustic was a a short jacket, collar button, vertical column of buttons, and a varied array of pockets. There may or may not have been pockets, but there usually were. This included both breast abd suse pockets. There were noth regulasr and flap pockets. The suit the boy here is wearung does not seem to have any pockets. Some may have had collars, but thus is often hard to tell, because they were commonly worn with large detachable collars covering up the top of the jacket. This was especially the case during the Fauleroy raze of the 18890s asnd 90s. We note one example of the jacket done with double button collums looking like a double-breasted jacket. This was not very common. It is the only such example we have found. We have not yet found an American example. We are not sure how to date it. The dealer suggests the late-1880s.

Prevalence

The collar buttoning jacket was a very common stylee. This was a major boy's style for several decades. For a time it was more prevalent than lapel sack suit jackets.

Chronology

We are not sure just when it first appeared. Almost certainly it was in the mid-19th century, probanly the 1940s. It persisted into the early-20tyh century. We are not sure about the origins, but it may have been influenced by military styles. It certainly was in America ehere it wa the style worn by Federal soldiers. We are less sure about England. Fashions generlly developed in England and France and other European countries and spread across the Atlantic to America. This may not be the case here. A lot of American collar-buttoning jackets were done with military styling like brass buttons. We do not see this in Britain, but we also do not have as large an English archive as our American archive. We do see a few English images of boys wearing these jackets, but not nearly as many as in America and only from the 1860s. Our very limited English archive from this period makes it difficul, however, to assess the chonology with any percission. We have been able to archive very few English Dags (1840s-50s) and Ambros (1850s). The earlier Dags and Ambros are much less common in England than America. We first begin to see the collar-buttoning jackets when CDVs become available in quantity (1860s). From this period we do have a considerable archive and information on English fashion trends. We see collar buttoning jackets throuhout the rest of the 19th century and into the early-20th century.

Age

This was a boys' style. We do not see men wearing them. For the most part they were for school age boys up to about 12 years of age. The boy here looks like he might be a bout 5 years of age, a year before school begins,.

Social Class

This seems to have been a style common for low-cost suits for boys, but we also see them done in velvet which would have been for more well-to-do fmilies. These velvet suits were mostly for younger boys. Social class factors msy hve been involved here, which of course affected who was taking their children to the photographic studio.

Vests

We note collar-buttoning vesrs. They were one with lapel jacks, called dack syuts. These were popular until nerck ties became standard.






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Created: 3:49 PM 11/8/2014
Last updated: 9:49 PM 9/13/2022