Figure 1.--This family was from Mason City, Iowa. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken about 1890. Note the boys have neckwear, but the girls so not. The younger boy has a floppy bow and the older boy a necktie. Note the girl's glassess. They are the same that a boy might have worn.

We are not yet sure about the gender conventions associated with floppy bows, but have begun to address the topic. Them may have changed over time as did the popularity of the bows. We note that in late 19th and very early 20th century that boys often wore floppy bow, sone times quite large ones. We see boys wearing floppy bows quite commonly when dressing up. It was not only boys who wore floppy bows, but we see many more bows wearing them than girls during this period. We note children wearing floppy bows in quite a number of American family portraits. In quite a number of these family portraits, when the boys wear floppy bows, the girls do not. After World war I, the floppy bow becme less commonly used, but we do see younger boys wearing them in the 1920s. They seem less common for girls. Here we are just beginning our assessment, but this is our initial findings.

Boys

One of the most destinctive styles of neckwear worn by Ameican boys was the floppy bow. This was a style worn by adults at the turn of the 19th century. It was popular during the Regency in Britain where it was worn by Beau Brummel. I thimk it was less common in America. When the floppy bow reappeared beginning in the late 1870s, it seems to have been a style particular popular in America. They were also worn in Europe, but we seem to see many more examples in America, especially the large floppy bows. And floppy bow at this time were a distinctly juvenile style. They were worn with equally large collars of various descriptions. Wearing floppy bows with fancy blouses was an optional matters. Some mothers insiste on the bows while others did not. They were worn with more plainly styled bows like Eton collars, but this was less common.

Girls

We are not yet sure about the gender conventions associated with floppy bows, but have begun to address the topic. Them may have changed over time as did the popularity of the bows. We note that in late 19th and very early 20th century that boys often wore floppy bow, sone times quite large ones. We see boys wearing floppy bows quite commonly when dressing up. It was not only boys who wore floppy bows, but we see many more bows wearing them than girls during this period. And the bows girls wore do not seem as large as the really huge ones that younger boys commonly wore. The chronology for girls wearing floppy bows may also be somnewhat different for that of girls. After World War I, the floppy bow becme less commonly used, but we do see younger boys wearing them in the 1920s. They seem less common for girls.

Family Conventions

Family portraits provide wonderful indicators concerning the genders trends associated with floppy bows. We note children wearing floppy bows in quite a number of American family portraits during the late 19th and very lwarly-20th centuries. In quite a number of these family portraits, when the boys wear floppy bows, the girls do not. This was not always the case. In some portraits we see both brothers and sisters wearing them, but this seems less common than gender destinctive approaches. Rhe basic idea here seems to be that if boys saw their sisters wearing bows than they were probably more likely to object to wearing the bows themselves.

Created: 2:38 AM 1/23/2008
Last updated: 11:26 PM 9/18/2008