English Little Lord Fauntleroy Suits: Chronology

Figure 1.--A reader has provided this unidentified image. She thinks it is English which seems likely to us. It is also undated, but the 1910s seems likely because of the shorts rather than knee pants and the ankle socks. He wears a blouse suit rather than the classic cut-away jacket, but dies have a small lace collar. The boy looks a little for the juvenile outfit, perhaps 7 or 8 years old. This was usually the time that well-to-do boys began at their preparatotry schoools. They usually had their hair cut and started wearing their school uniforms. This boy wears a short trousered velvet suit. It is not black velvet, but a lighter color, perhaps blue. He has a cluster of short ringlets rather than bangs. His strap shoes seem to be fastened by ribbons ties rather than laces.

As far as we can tell, the chronological trends of the Fauntleroy suit were very similar to those in the United States, although the fashion was never as popular in America. We note younger boys wearing fancy velvet suits in the 1870s, but without the Fauntleroy trim. This seems to have been a fashion influence from France. It was the publication of Mrs. Burnett's story that launched the Fauntleroy craze (1885). The book grearly increased the popularity of the style. The book sold well in Britain and the play was produced in London and other cities, including unauthorized versions. Of course. the Fauntleroy suit is not entirely an American style. Mrs. Burnett was born in Englsnd. As concerns, the Fauntleroy suit, however, it seems to have been her time in France that was the key fashion influence. We see English examples of the Fauntleroy suit in the photographic record from the late-1880s into the early-1900s. We note Fauntleroy collars being worn by the younger boys in primary schools. This is a little more difficult for us to follow in Britain because our photographic archive is more limited than our American archive. The style rapidly declined in popularity during the 1910s with world war making for more utilitarian fashions even among the well to do. We no longer see Fauntleroy suit in the 1920s, but we do see Fauntleroy fashion influences.

The 1870s

As far as we can tell, the chronological trends of the Fauntleroy suit were very similar to those in the United States, although the fashion was never as popular in America. We note younger boys wearing fancy velvet suits in the 1870s. Usually they were suits similar to other outfits only done in velvet wiuth fancy embroidery and other trim like frogging, piping, amd striping but without the Fauntleroy trim that became so popular in the 1880s. This seems to have been a fashion influence from France. Most of the fancy velvet suits were not the cassic cut-away jacket suits that became so identified with Fauntleroy styling. We see suits done in wide range of styles. Many of these fancy suits were not ready-made outfits. Actually some of the suits were fancier than the classic Fauntleroy cut-away jackets which were actually quite plain. What we do not see are the fussy, frilly trim and blouses that were worn with them. Collars in the 1870s in particular tended to be restrained in both size and working.

The 1880s

It was the publication of Mrs. Burnett's story that launched the Fauntleroy craze (1885). The book greatly increased the popularity of the style. The book sold well in Britain and the play was produced in London and other cities, including unauthorized versions. As a result, we begin to see more velvet suits and the classic Fauntleroy styling, including lace and ruffled collars and floppy bows. We beieve that the Fauntleroy Craze began in England about the same time as in America, perhaps a little later. We do not yet have many dated English images. This could reflect prevalence, but we have much smaller English than American archive. We do not yet have any dated Engish images from the mid-1880s. We suspect that they exist, but we can not yet confirm them. We do have some from the late-80s. The Englisj collars and bows were never as large as in America. The Little Lord Fauntleroy suit was the first major American boys' style to cross the Atlantic and have an impact on Europe. The Fauntleroy suit is, however, not entirely an American style. Mrs. Burnett was born in Englsnd. As concerns, the Fauntleroy suit, however, it seems to have been her time in France that was the key fashion influence. But Ms. Burnett did not personally launch a fashion craze. It was nore the illustrations in the book and what mothers did with them. One common differnce with American Fauntleroy suits is that the English suits were often done with bloomer knickers rather thn the streight-leg knee pnts we usually see in the United States.

The 1890s

The Fauntleroy suit which appeared in the mid-1880s continued to be a major style in England throughout the 1890s. We see English examples of the Fauntleroy suit in the photographic record from the late-1880s into the early-1900s. It was the peak of the Fauntleroy Craze. Not as common as in America, but more common than in the ret of Europe. The 1890s seems to have been the single most important decade. The style birst on the fashion scene from America (1885). It took a few years to get estblished. In contrast it was all the rage in the 1890s. We note Fauntleroy collars being worn by the younger boys in primary schools. This is a little more difficult for us to follow in Britain because our photographic archive is more limited than our American archive. We tend to see more elaborate lace collars in England than is the case in America. American boys wore lace collars, but ruffled collars wre much more common. In England we see quit a number of elaborate real lace collars in all kinds of sizes and designs. Real lace is expensive. A large real lace collar is much more expensive than a large ruffled collar. This of course povides some informtion on social class and the families involved.

The 1900s

We still see Fauntleroy with the turn-of-the century in the 1900s.

The 1910s

We still see some English boys wearing Funrtleroy outfits during the 1910s. The boy here seems to be an example (figure 1). The Fauntleroy Craze was basically fizzelig out, but we still a few examples. The Fauntleroy style rapidly declined in popularity with the advent of World War I. Fashion suddenly seem frivolus with the cris of the War. This was especially the case for the more elaborate aspects of the Edwarduan era such as ebormous hats xand elaborate feather decorations. Fauntleroy suits for boys apparently fell into this category. With factories producung uniforms, fashionable clothese were very difficult to obtain even of the public mood had not chbged. placing a final cap on the style. The War making for more utilitarian fashions even among the well to do. As a result, most od rhe 1910s Faultelroy images we find are from the early-1910s. The photographs we have found look mostly like short pants outfits, some cut at lenths more like shots than knee pants. We no longer see bloomer knickers. And the boys were wearing socks, invluding some bkle sicks instead of long stockings.

The 1920s

We no longer see Fauntleroy suit in the 1920s, but we do continue to see Fauntleroy fashion influences.

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Created: 9:45 AM 10/14/2010
Last updated: 8:05 PM 11/28/2017