Figure 1.--Here we see 12-year old John in 1900. He wears a corduroy kneepants Norfolk suit with black long stockings. Norfolk styling was very popular in the 1900s. Note his flat cap. This is how he might have dressed to go to school.

We have chosen a Norfolk suit for John. The Norfolk suit was one of the most popular suit styles for boys in the early 20th century. Often after wearing sailor suits, the Norfolk suit was a boy's first more adult looking suit. These suits were made in a range of materials. Many American boys wore corduroy. In 1900 it would have been a relatively inexpensive suit for a boy. A more expensive suit would have been a wool suit. John's suit had a vest or waistcoat. His trousers would have probably been held up by suspenders. An American boy like John in 1900 probably would have worn a kneepants rather than a knicker suit, although both were available. John also more than likely would have work black long stockings with his suit. Long stockings were very common in the early 20th century. There were different colors, but black were by far the most common. John here holds a flat cap. These flkat caps were very commonly worn by American boys John's age. John here wears his suit with a soft pointed collar and a necktie. The Eton collar was also very common. Here there were class factors. A boy from a well-to-do family might have been more likely to wear the Eton collar.

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Created: 2:58 AM 6/4/2005
Last updated: 3:43 AM 6/19/2005