Figure 1.-- This prim and proper boy wears a floppy bow and Eton collarwith a single-breasted dark knickers suit. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken in the late-1900s. He looks to be 12-13 years old. Probably next year he began wearing neckties. Notice the razor-straight hair part.

We still see boys wearing many floppy bows in the 1900s. Floppy bows were still worn in the early 20th century, especially in the 1900s. There were still quite large bows worn, although the size declined duting the decade. A good example is 5-year old Harold Howes in 1903. We note younger boys wearing them, but even some younger teenagers. Younger boys wore them with Fauntleroy suits and tunic suits like Buster Brown outfits. We notice older boys wearing them with blouses abd suits. We note all the boys in the Johnson family wearing fancy blouses with floppy bows (1907). Boys wore them with various styles of detachable collars. Some mothers used them as akind of age grading devices. While they were common with juvenile suits. We see some boys wearing them with more mature styles like single-breasted and double-breasted suits. We note by the later part of the decade that thy were less common and smaller sizes. We also note boys wearing neckties and bowties. Age trends varied from family to fmily as to when boys syopped wearing floppy bows and began wearing neckties or bowties. Boys as old as 12 or 13 years might wear floppy bows, but by age 14 most boys were wearing bow ties or nckties. Mny boys began wearing the more mature neckwear earlier. Neckwear was common, but we see younger boys weaing large collars without bows and we see older boys wearing Eton and oher detachable collars wih and without neckwear.

Created: 1:21 AM 5/2/2008
Last updated: 12:39 AM 5/11/2009