* school uniform: Eton collars for school suits






School Uniform: The Eton Collar


Figure 1.--Photographs of English boys in the late 19th century show row after row of boys wearing stiffly starched Eton collars. They were also widely worn in other countries. Note the caps the boys are wearing.

The Eton collar was so closely associated with the suits worn by boys at school and for dress wear for so many years that it can not be omitted in any discussion of school suits. The Eton collar was most closely associated with England, but it was widely worn in America, Feance, and several other countries. They began to be worn widely in the 1860s and dominated school wear through the 1910s. Only in the 1920s did schools begin adopting soft collars for boys, although even in the 1930s some traditionally oriented continued insisting on Eton collars.

Eton Collars

Generations of English parents considered the Eton collar essentially for a well dressed boy. The collars varried in size, but the shape and color was unchanged. After spending some time in Fauntleroy and sailor suits, the next step for fost Englisg boys was a suit wor with an Eton collar. They were widely worn in other countris, but not to the same extent as in England.

Eton School Uniforms

The traditional Eton school uniform and collar influenced English school uniforms for more than a century. Given the prestige of Eton college, many English adopted the style of the Eton school uniform with minor modifications. Gradualy English schools adopted more standard single breasted suits, but retained the Eton collar for dress occasions into the 1920s and even the 1930s at thevmore conservative schools. The style does continue to be worn at Eton College.


Figure 2.--This photograph from the 1950s shows an Eton boy fastening his tie after putting on the rather akward Eton collar.

School Wear

Collar details

One HBC contributor reports an old department store catalogue frpm the early 1900s which includes 'a specimen list for a school outfit, calculated for a boy of 12.' The list is amazingly long, and includes '1 dozen Eton collars.' He believes that a dozen such collars would last the term, being discarded when grubby and sent off for laundering and starching, either in the school laundry or to a local laundry. The 'house dame' would issue fresh collars to boys as required. The cost of the dozen collars was five shillings and sixpence and they are listed as 2-1/2" deep.

Boarding school

A varaiety of questions arrise concerning these collars at school. First how did the house dame or atron ever keep all those collars straight. While collars at day schools where mothers took care of the laundry could vary widely, at boarding schools they were mostly of similar size. Presumably many schools provided exact specifications on the sizes of the collars to be worn. Given that they looked so much alike, how did they tell whose collars were whose. Presumably they were somehow marked with the boy's name or inintials in some inconspicous spot. Then was there was a system for inspecting the collars or did the school set a schedule on how often collars should be changed. Certainly at a prestigious boarding school, this could not be left to the boys themselvesd, Most schoools probably had collar monitors. An English HBC contributor reports that as recently as the 1980s, boys at the Kinfs School still wore detachable wing collars. A list of house monitors is posted which included a 'collars monitor'.


Figure 3.--These younger boys at a state school in the late 1890s wear extremely large Eton collars. Notice the bows that there mothers have added. The boy at the back right wears a sailor suit. The boy at the front right also appears to be wearing a sailor suit, but that is less clear.

Day school

It was not only English boarding school boys that wore these collars. They were also commonly worn at day schools, bith private and state schools. There tended to be a much greater variety in the Eton collars. This was particularly true for the younger boys. Some mothers liked to dress their boys in particularly large collars in the Eton style. I'm not sure what the boys involved thought of this. Presumably they would eventually start badgering mother for more normal sized Eton collars like the other boys. Another complication was what kind of neckwear for the collar. Some boys wore none others wore a variety including boe ties and modern looking neckties. Mothers might add bows, in some cases large floppy bows to the Eton suits worn by their younger sons. I'm not sure which the boys might have objected to more, the over sized collar or the large bows.

Conventions

The Eton collar was worn to be seen. Unlike modern collars, it was worn outside the jacket. As it was commonly 2 inches are larger, it had quite an impact on the boys's appearance.

One unresolved question about the Eton collar is what should be worn with it. Some boys wore it without neckwear of any kind. Mother might add a large floppy bow to the ones worn by younger boys. Older boys wore a variety of neck wear, incliding small bows, bow ties, neckties and various other vaiants.

Suits

Some suits styles were commonly assiciated with the Eton collar.

Eton suits

Of course the Eton suit was most commonly associated with the Eton collar. Eton suits were not just worn at Eton. Other public schools adopted the Eton suit, of course with minor modifications.


Figure 4.--These boys wear rather modern looking suits with Eton collars and neck ties. I'm not sure how to date it. A British observer reports that it is a pre-1914 photograph, but is not positive about the exact date. Notice how the younger boys wear the traditional Eton collars while the older boys wear rounded collars tucked beneath their jackets. Notice that two of the older boys are still wearing the junior Eton collars.

Norfolk suits

On of the more popular styles for boys until recent years has been the Norfolk jacket. While not exclusively a boy's style, it was widely worn by boys from the 1870s to the 1930s. It was most popular in England, but widely worn in America as well. It was one of the most popular school suits and very commonly worn with Eton collars. Usually made of a durable material, t was made for long wear and thus appealed to thrifty mothers.

Chronology

Eton collars began to be worn widely in the 1860s and dominated school wear through the 1910s. Only in the 1920s did schools begin adopting soft collars for boys, although even in the 1930s some traditionally oriented continued insisting on Eton collars.

Countries

The Eton collar appeared of course at Eton school in the late 18th or early 19th century. It gradually was used in other boys clothing in England. It did not become wwide spread, however, until after the mid-19th century as boys began wearing suits like Norfolk suits at school. The Eton collar was most closely associated with England, but it was widely worn in America, Feance, and several other countries. They began to be worn widely in the 1860s and dominated school wear through the 1910s. Only in the 1920s did schools begin adopting soft collars for boys, although even in the 1930s some traditionally oriented continued insisting on Eton collars.

The Eton Style

The Eton collar was not just worn with suits for school wear. Eton collars were worn with a wide variety of other outfits, including kilts. Unlike many other boys' styles, the Eton collar was not widely adopted for girls' clothes.

Girls' Styles

One interesting aspect of the Eton collar was that it, like the peaked cap, was never adopted for girls school uniforms. Most other garments, the tie, blazer, even today shorts and trousers, were adopted by the girls for school wear. But the girls never wore Eton collars. Some fashion designers occasionally incorporated Eton collars in stylish clothes, but it was never worn as part of a girls' school uniform. I am not sure why this was. Perhaps it was considered to severe a style for girls' wear.






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Created: November 12, 1999
Last updated: November 12, 1999