Classic Eton Suits: Boys' Ages


Figure 1.--This English boy looks to be about 15 years old. He is wearing a dark suit, probably his school, uniform with an Eton suit. It is a knicker suit and the photograph was probably taken about 1900. Notice the vest he is wearing.

Eton suits were often the first suit a boy wore after emerging from tunics and sailor suits and other boyish outfits. The yongest boys weraing Eton suits were about 8 years of age although 10 was more common. Some boys wore the classic Eton suit with a short jacket. More common was a suit with a regular jacket, but worn with an Eton collar. HBC estimates that boys might normally wear an Eton suit to about 15 or 16 years of age, but some older boys also wore them. HBC Eton collar specialist in England conforms this estimate.

Styles

Boys wore both classic Eton suits and a variety of suits of varios descriptions with Eton collars.

Classic style

Strictly speaking, a Eton suit is a suit with a very short jacket worn with an Eton collar. Boys at Eton College wore their suits with sripped trousers, but the stripped trousers are no absolutelt necessary. Eton boys called their short jackets "bum-freezers". Generally speaking it was younger boys up to about 14 that wore this style.

Regular suit

Much more common was the regular suit. It could be in many different styles. Normally speaking it had a vest. Older boys of 15 and 16 might wear an Eton collar with these suuits.

School Uniform

The Eton suit or suits with Eton collars were common Engish school unifiorms, often but not always worn with knickers. Boys would have begun wearing these suits at about 8 years of age. They were worn at preparatory schools and by boys at public school, although the older boys were usually allowed tomwear suits with morevmature collars.





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Christopher Wagner

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Created: January 22, 2000
Last updated: January 22, 2000