Figure 1.--This unidentified 4-year old American boy had his portrait taken in 1900. The cabinet card shows a a boy wearing a dark suit with a large white lacy collar. This looks to be more like a home crochet collar than fine lace. It was, however, clearly a pin-on collar worn with a collar-buttoning jacket. The portrait was taken by J. B. Luttbeg of Mount Vernon, New York.

We note many different styles of lace collars worn by boys. These were dependent to a large degree on the type of collar, There were both pin-on collars and collars done as part of a blouse. This is not always easy to discern. There are differences both in the type of lace and the shape of the collar. Some of the collars look to be more crocheded work rather than fine lace. We are not sure about the lace collars worn in the early 19th century, but photographic portaits provide us a great deal of information about the collars worn in association with Fauntleroy outfits during the late-19th century. The croched collar here, however, seems obviously a pin-on collar. Some of the collars were pure lace. These were done in various shapes. Others had only a small anount of lace, usually a lace trim or edgeding to a larger collar.

Pin-on Lace Collars

We note many different styles of lace collars worn by boys. There are differences both in the type of lace and the shape of the collar. Some of the collars look to be more crocheded work rather than fine lace. We are not sure about the lace collars worn in the early 19th century, but photographic portaits provide us a great deal of information about the collars worn in association with Fauntleroy outfits during the late-19th century. The croched collar here, howevers, seems obviously a pin-on collar. Some of the collars were pure lace. These were done in various shapes. We note rounded collars as well as many varied shapes such as multi-pointed staes. The sizes varied subsantially over time. Most of the pin-on lace colars seem to come frm the 1880s and 90s. They were commonly worn on collar-buttoning jackets. We note them being worn with and without floppy bows. Some pin-on lace collars were also worn matching sleeve cuffs.

Blouses with Lace Collars

There were also elaborate collars done as part of a blouse. There wee vaeioys collar shaps. Some were done with sailor styling, fron "V"s and back flaps. Some were square. Others were in various other shapes. These were especially popular with cut-away jackets, the style used in the classic Fauntleroy suit. These blouse collars were done in mny different sizes and shapes. This varied substantially over time. These were less likely to be pure lace collars, but many had some lace worked into them, often in the edging. Others had only a small anount of lace, usually a lace trim or edgeding to a larger collar. A good example of edging is Joe Meyers. We note them being worn with and without floppy bows.

Identifying Types

It is often obvious if a lace collar is a pin-on type collar or part of the blouse. Funtleroy blouses with fancy collars were elabotate garments made to be seen not hidden. This is why they were commonly worn with cut-away jackets. The cut-away jacket or the open sailor jacket showed off not only the collasr, but the front opf the blouse. The pin-on collars were more likely to be worn with collar-buttoning jackets. There was not such sence in wearing a Fauntleroy blouse of you were going to cover it up with a collar buttoning jacket. A point here concerning lace collars, because the lace was expensive, it was not usually used for a Fauntleroy blouse. Morelikely was a ruffled collar. Fauntlerroy blouses might have lace as a trim on a large ruffled collar. A futher clue is the cuffs. Fauntleroy blouses also had cuffs with trim matching the collar. Thus if there are no fancy cuffs, thart is an indication that a boy may have a pin-on collar rather than wearing a Fauntleroy blouse.

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Created: 12:18 AM 9/29/2007
Last updated: 5:05 AM 1/5/2011