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Boys commonly wore suits in the 1880s. There were a range of different styles which we can see in the image on the previous page. Sailor suits bergan to appear. The major development in the 1880s, however, was the appearance of the Little Lord Fauntleroy suits. Fancy suits existed, but Mrs. Burnett book published at mid-decade generated a fashion sensation. We see both Fauntleroy suits as well as Fauntleroy trim to be worn with standard suits and other garments. Fancy velvet suits for boys appeared before the publication of the story in 1885, but the popularity exploded after the story appeared in print and on the stage. The result was a fashion arms race for little boys with mothers competed with how many ruffles and bows could he heaped on their sons. Lace and huge ruffled collars and bows soon increased greatly in size, virtually engulfing younger boys. Other styles such as Eton collars for older boys and sailor suits grew in popularity. We school-age boys wearing a variety of suits. Collar-buttoning suits were especially common. Norfolk suits were becoming increasingly popular. Cut-away jackets were mostly for Fauntleroy suit. We also see a range of lapel jacket suits.
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