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The Eton collar continued to be popular after the turn-of-the 20th century. The detchable Eton collar in fact was at the peak of its popularity at the turn-of the 20th century. But it only lasted as a major style for a very short period. It was height of fsshion for middle-class boys during the 1900s and 10s. It was not as common in America as Britain, but we see a lot of American boys wearing them. We see many examples in the very extensive photographic record. It began to decline after World War I in the 1920s. We no longr see large numbers in the photographic record. By this time, neckwear with Eton collars becomes less common. We still see Eton collars in the 1930s but by the 1940s had declined markedly in popularity. Wesee a few examples in the early-50s, but finally disappeared by mid-decade. American boys during the 1950s mostly attached wore soft collars, but some boys also wore Eton collars with some informal outfits, including sweaters and long-sleeved 'T'-shirts. We don't see a lot of examples, but we do see some. While detchable Eton collars disappeared by mid-decade, the style continued. We see younger boys wearing blouses with attached small collars done in the shape of Eton collars. We also see these blouses with Peter Pan collars. These blouses were commonly worn with the junior Eton suits that became standard for younger American boys.
Eton collars continued to be worn after the turn of the 20th century. We see many boys wearing Eton collars with suits. We note both the standard Eton collar with pointed tios as well as collars with dounded tips. We do not yet have a good idea concerning the relative popularity of the different collar styles. Or even if the rounded tip collars had a different name. These were not rounded Peter Pan collars, but basically Eton collars with tips that wre rounded rather than pointed. Quite a nunber of boys with Eton collrs during the 1900s are arhived on HBC. This is somewhat easier to tell in the 1900s as floppy bows were less likely to obscure the collar. We note 5-year old Harold Howes wearing an Eton collsar with a tunic suit in 1905. We note a younger boy, but not his older brother wearing What looks like a small Eton collar in a Texas family in 1906. Here we think there may have been differences among social classes. In a more affluebnt family, the older brother might have been more likely to wear an Eton collar. We see Charles Dorff who wears a floppy bow with his Eton collar about 1905.
The Eton collar was worn through the 1910s, but less commonly. We see quite a number of boys wearing Eton collars, but a desrinct minority. It seems rather a formal style. Thus we see more boys wearing Eton collars when they dressed up for formal occassions. Some boys wore them to school, but less than in the 1900s. They would have been most common at private schools. We believe that social class factors were involved here. Eton collars were most common with boys from affluent families, especially those families with rather conservative attitudes. We are not yet sure about age trends. We note Frank Bailey wearing a small Eton collar at his private school about 1915.
The popularity of detachavle Eton collars changed significantly after World War I in the 1930s. The style raoidly declined in popularity suring the 920s was little seen by the 1920s as soft collars made steady inrods. The Eton collar did not sisappear, but by the end of the decde it had become a minor fashion that was no longer worn to any extent by older boys. We do see younger boys wering them. While a formal style, they were added to play clothes for younger boys. The only exception to this was the small boys wearing blouses with collars looking like Eton collars and the American Eton suit. American boys wore this Eton suit style with a variety of collars.
The standard detachable Eton collar continued to decline in popularity for boys. While it had not yey disappeared, we no longer see it very commonly, What we do see is younger boys weearing Eton collars, commonly wih short pants suits. This was much more common than older boys wearing them, we see younger boys wearing Wein collars with short pants suits. THis was a style e began to see in the 1920s. The ages declined in the 39s nd bu the end of the decsde the uSome boys wore them as part of junior Eton suits with jackets that did not have lapels. Other boys wore them with standard sack suit jackets. We think these were blouses with Eton collrs rather than detchable collars. This was a style that would continue for some time with boys eafing both Eton and Peter Pan collars. We note a well to do Ohio boy wearing a classic Eton collar with an Eton suit, we beleve in the 1930s, but it could be the 40s. He wears his Eton collar with a necktie.
The detachable Eton collar was not commonly worn in the 1940s, but we do see some boys wearing them, especially in the early-40s. It was primarily a formal style. Boys might wear them for formal dress occassions. Curiously we see the Eton collar with some casual situations. This seems an unlikely combination. Here we note mostly magazine fashion and catalog advertising. A good example is a Sears 1943 catalog page for long stockings. We do not think this was very common with actual boys. At least we do not have any family snapshots to confirm it. Here there were social class factors. One contributor reports. I was born in 1943 and never wore an Eton collar. Neither did my brother who was boen in 1936. We were, however, middle class, actually barely middle classs." More affluent boys were more likely to wear Eton collars. A HBC reader reports, "I wore shirts with Eton collars when I was about 8 or 9 years old. And as you note, I came from an affluent family and went to a private school. My Eton collars were attached to the shirts, not put on with collar buttons like the original Eton collars. I wore shirts a bit like the boy in the Pilgrim stocking advertisement. Of course I'm a bit vague about it now. But my long stockings were just like the ones this kid is wearing." Readers may want to read more about our readers personal experiemces. We also note younger boys wearing Eton collars with juvenile Eton suits. After the 1940s, Peter Pan collars began increasingly popular with these Eton suits.
HBC has noted a few boys wearing detachable Eton collars as late as the early-1950s. As far as we can tell, these collars were rather ratre, but hd not yet completely disappeared. American boys during the 1950s mostly attached wore soft collars, but some boys also wore Eton collars with some informal outfits, including sweaters. While detchable Eton collars disappeared by mid-decade, the style continued. We see younger boys wearing blouses with attached small collars done in the shape of Eton collars. We akso see these blouses with Peter Pan collars.
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