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Fauntleroy suit styles varied considerably. There was a great variery of
patterns available to the discerning,
fashion conscious mother. As most available photographs only show the
front of the jacket, we mostly know about the back from designs published
on The Delineator and other publications. Jackets were often
shaped at the back with a curving center seam.
Many jackets had side pockets at the front and were closed at the front
with button-holes and buttons. Most were designed, however, not to be closed to
better show elaborately lace trimed blouses. These were cut-away jackets worn open. Some had a tab at the top to keep the two sides of the jacket minimally closed. Some jacket had slits cut at the back. There were a variety of stylistic variations. This include Fauntleroy sailor jackets. These were jackets with the familiar "V" collar, but unlike other sailor outfits, the jacket was worn open to show a fancy sailor blouse worn with it. A good example is the jacket worn by the younger of two Indianapolis brothers, probably in the 1890s.
Fauntleroy suit styles varied considerably. There was a great variery of patterns available to the discerning, fashion conscious mother. The basic characateristic was that it was a small cut-away jacket.
We know a great deal about the front of the classic Fauntleroy jacket. Most available photographs only show the front of the jacket. The jacket was small and cut away. It was designed to show off the fancy blouse worn with it to best advantge. Some were so fany that they virtually enveloped the small jacket.
The jackets had buttons and looked like they could be closed. The buttons, however, were for the most part purely ornamental. Despite the button-holes and buttons, the jackets were designed to be worn open. They were not to be closed to better show elaborately lace trimed blouses. These were cut-away jackets worn open. Most had a tab or connecting strap at the top to keep the two sides of the jacket minimally closed. But even this was not always engaged. The jacket here either did not have a connecting tab or it was not engaged (figure 1). Becaiuse the Fauntleroy blouses were often so frilly, it is often difficult to see the tab. The large floppy bows often worn also might cover over the tab. We have seen a few jackets with two connecting tab, but this was not at all common.
Few photographic portraits We mostly know about the back from designs published on The Delineator and other publications. Jackets were often shaped at the back with a curving center seam.
Some jacket had slits cut at the back.
Many jackets had side pockets at the front.
There were a variety of stylistic variations with the Fauntleroy jacket. This include Fauntleroy sailor jackets. These were jackets with the familiar "V" collar, but unlike other sailor outfits, the jacket was worn open to show a fancy sailor blouse worn with it. A good example is the jacket worn by the younger of two Indianapolis brothers, probably in the 1890s.
The eye can mislead readers. The Fautleroy blouse with its large collar, front, and cuffs can virtuall hide the jacket. Boys wore these b;louses with all kinds of different jackets. Many were in fact not Fauntleroy jackets. We often see boys wearing Fauntleroy blouses or collars with regular suit jackets or even sailor-styled jackets. A good example here is Robert Mason Hamilton, a Chicago boy in 1897. Unless one looks closely, they look like Fauntleroy outfits even though the boy is not wearing a Fauntleroy jacket.
Fauntleroy suits were often made in black and other dark colors. We also see Fauntleroy suits in light colors. These were normally summer suits. An example here is Bert Dodge, an American boy photographed in the 1880s.
Fauntleroy Related Pages:
[Return to mainMain classic Fauntleroy garment page]
[Return to mainFauntleroy page]
[Edwardian Fauntleroy suits]
[Classic Fauntleroy suits]
[Final Fauntleroy period]
[Fauntleroy dresses]
[Lace collars]
[Vivian Benett]
[Fauntleroy patterns]
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[Kilts]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
[Sailor Hats]
[Blouses]
[Ring Bearers]
[Long hair]
[Ringklet curls]
[Hair bows]
[Bangs]
[Collars]
[Bows]
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