Little Lord Fauntleroy Suits: Hair


Figure 1.--Mothers after the turn of the 20th century in the Edwardian era less commonly chose ringlets for their sons in Fauntleroy suits, but still liked the look of curls. This undated American porttrait was probably taken in the 1900s. Notice that this boy's hair is cut above the ears.

American boys wore Little Lord Fauntleroy suits with a large variety of hair styles. Perhaps the most popular adjunuct, at least to the mothers, to the Little Lord Fauntleoy suit was long ringlet curls. This was not the most common hair style worn with Little Lor Fauntleroy suits, although it was probably the most popular with Victorian mothers. Not all boys in Fauntleroy suits wore their hair in long ringlets. Some boys had their hair cut well before they were were breeched and thus wore short hair with their velvet Fauntleroy suits. Ringlet curls were most common on younger boys, commonly until 5 or 6 years of age. Some mothers liked them so much that they had their sons wear them well beyond that age. The curls were styled in a variety of different ways. There were a variety of thicknessses and number. Some mothers even added hair bows to the curls. While hairbows were more popular in France, they were not unknown in America. By the Edwarian era after the turn of the 20th century, rinlets became less common with Fauntleroy suits, but not curls.

Chronolgy

The Little Lord Fauntleroy suit is generally seen as appearing in 1885 when Francis Hodgsen Burnett began to publish her famed story in St. Nicholas Magazine during 1885. Fancy velvet suits for boys, however, were worn for several yerars before Little Lord Fauntleroy was published. By the same token long hair styles, including runglets were worn before Mrs. Burnett's novel was published. The emense popularity of the book, which at the time was not consdidered a children's story, greatly increase the popularity of these styles. Interestingly, the beautiful illustrations by Riginald Birch in the first edition of Little Lord Fauntleroy did not show Cedric in ringlets, althogh he did appear in long flowing locks. HBC is not sure why ringlets became so popular in America when they were clearly not described in the text or shown in the original illustratyions. Styles changed adfter the turn of the 20th century. Edwardian mothers increasingly turned away from long ringlets, but still liked the iea of curls for younger boys in velvet Fauntleroy suits.

Styles

American boys wore Little Lord Fauntleroy suits with a large variety of hair styles. Certainly the most recognizable style associate with Little Lord Fauntleroy velvet suits are ringlet curls. Ringlets were not the most common style, but have become associated with Fauntleroy suits in the popular mind--at least in America. It was more common to wear a variety of short hair cuts with Fauntleroy suits. Some were shirt hair cuts rather like those worn by older boys. Othrs were relatively short cuts, but done in a variety of fancy styles. We have also notice hair longer hair styles both covering and not covering the ears, but not shoulder lengh. The ringlets curls were styled in a variety of different ways. There were a variety of thicknessses and number. Oten ringlets were done in shoulder length styles, but not always.

Popularity

Perhaps the most popular adjunuct, at least to the mothers, to the Little Lord Fauntleoy suit was long ringlet curls. This was not the most common hair style worn with Little Lor Fauntleroy suits, although it was probably the most popular with Victorian mothers. Not all boys in Fauntleroy suits wore their hair in long ringlets. Some boys had their hair cut well before they were were breeched and thus wore short hair with their velvet Fauntleroy suits. The attitude of the boys could obviously be quite different from their mothers. This was especially the case by the time a boy was 5 or 6 years old anf more able to express his opiniion. This was especially the case at about age 6 years he began to go to school and interact with other boys outside the circle of his immediate family. Mother's opinion in the 19th century had enormous authority, especially for younger children. After the turn of the 20th century, however, a boy's own opinion, especially in America, began to have more an more importance. As public education became more and more important--this probably was an increasingly important factor. The father's opinion, especially in the 20th century began to have more and more importance. Fathers especially after World War I began to take an increasibgly active role in raising children. Perhaps also by the 1990s you have a generation of fathers who remenmber wearing Fauntleroy suits an ringlets as a boy and may habve intervene in their sons' side on clothing and hair style issues thast were formely left to the mother's disgression.

Prevalence

Ther prevalence of Fauntleroy suits and curls his hard to estimate. HBC believes that a very large number of boys, especially in America, wore suits with some aspect of Fauntleroy styling, such as lace or ringlet collars and large biws. A smaller number of boys wore actual velvet Faunleroy suits with ringlet curls. HBC beliieves that an estimate of about 10 percet for boys wearing Fauntleroy suits and ringlets in the latec 19th century is a reasonable ball-park figure. By the Edwarian era after the turn of the 20th century, ringlets became less common with Fauntleroy suits, but not curls.

Countries

Wearing ringlet curls with Little Lord Fauuntleroy suits with ringlet curls appears to have been most popular in America. Only a minority of American boys wore their Fauntleroy suits with ringlet curls. This was in part because many American boys had their curls cut before they were breached. Whhle a majority of American boys had short hair, We notice numerous portraits of boys wearing Fauntleroy suits with curls. In addition a very large percentage of the American boys with long hair wore ringlet curls. English boysin rnglet curls. The French even call ringlets, "English curls". French boys also commonly wore long hair, but it was less common in France where boys also wore long hair, but less commonly done into ringlets. We know less about other countries such as Italy, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. We have noted some impages of boys with ringlets from those countries, but our archive of imge and information is in sufficent to determine just how common this was. Our initial assessment is that is was not very common.

Age

Ringlet curls were most common on younger boys, commonly until 5 or 6 years of age. Some mothers liked them so much that they had their sons wear them well beyond that age.

Hair Bows

Boys in Fauntleroy suits sometimes wore hairbows. This is in part because long ringlet curls became an important part of the Fauntleroy look preferred by many mothers. Boys in short hair could not wear hair bows. Thus boys in Fauntleroy suits often had the needed curls. In addition, a hair bow does not seem to be an unsual addition to a boy in a velvet Fauntleroy suit, lace collar, and ringlet curls. It is difficult to quantify how common this was. Probably the proprtion of boys wearing hairbows in surviving portraits are a reasonable reflection of how common it was for boys in Fauntleroy suits to wear hairbows. s Only some of the boys wearing Fauntleroy suits wore ringlets and a very small proportion of those boys had hairbows. HBC does not have a good idea as to whether these hairbows were just added for the portraits and special occasions or if the boys photographed with hair bows commonly wore them. Most but not all such boys appear to be pre-school boys. The Fauntleroy suit was most popular in America and HBC considers it unlikely that an American boy would have worn hair bows to school or much beyond the age that he would have begun school. Boys schooled at home, however might have worn Fauntleroy suits, ringlets, and hair bows to an older age.







HBC








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Created: January 27, 2001
Last updated: 5:53 PM 10/5/2011