Figure 1.-- Floppy bows during the Fauntlroy wea could be huge. This looks like an example during the 1880s.

America by the 1880s was becoming the world's leading industrial power. And as a result Americans had become the most prosperous people on earth, in fact the most prosperous people in history. The result was mass immigration which had begun after the Civil War (1861-65). Immigration reached unprecedented levels by the 1880s. Men wore upstanding collars and folded-over collars. They were might be worn with a bow tie or four-in-hand tie. The string tie and ascot were also still in style. Men began buttoning suit jackets higher. This meant that there was less space for neck wear. As a result, ties began to sized smaller. That was the case for men. Boys were launched on a different track. Americans were experiencing untold prosperity. Families that came from small farms barely part of the monied economy were now living in solid city homes and earning salaries far beyond what they ever thought possible. Mothers who did not work with time and money on their hand energetically took to fashion. And this mean not only their dresses and their husband's suits, but also their children's clothes. And at just this time Mrs. Francis Hobson Burnett conceived of the Little Lord Fauntleroy story as a way of entertaining her children. She published the story in the newspapers (1885). It was an instant success. It was just the inspiration American mothers needed. Soon American boys were being outfitted in the most astonishing outfits boys had ever worn. long with the Fauntleroy suits, a major change occurred in boys neck wear. We still see modest-sized bows in the early-80s. A good example is the narrow ribbon bow worn by Frank Bigelow (1882). Even at mid-decade we still see rather moderate-sized bows. A good example are two unidentified brothers vacationing in Provincetown (1885). Floppy bows began to become popular and grow in size at mid-century. We note Harry B. Decker with a floppy bow, but not yet an enormous one. The small moderate size bows worn in the 1870s and early-80s grew markedly in size after Mrs Burnett published Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885). By the late-1880s and 1890s even gigantic bows were common, sometimes almost dwarfing the small boys we see wearing them. This was of course part of the Fauntleroy craze. Mrs. Burnett published Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1885. It was an immediate popular success, launching a virtual fashion arms race. And almost immediately, American mothers wanted to dress their sins like Mrs. Burnett's charming hero. The resulting Fauntleroy Craze was very much an American fashion development. The fancy velvet suits themselves had appeared in Europe during the 1870s. But the extremes of the Fauntleroy style were distinctly American. This included the wide age range of the boys wearing them, the ringlet curls, and the immense popularity was very much an American phenomenon. As curious as it may seem, the Fauntleroy suit was the first destinctly American boys style. And the popularity of the book in Europe helped spread the style there as well. The floppy bow was used to add a slash of color to the black or other dark colored velvet suits. Some mothers even added a bright-colored slash. These large bows were very common and not just worn with Fauntleroy suits. Many mothers added a fancy blouse and floppy bow to regular suits. Not all boys wearing large collars wore bows with them, but many did and often the bows covered much of the front of the collar. Large collars and bows are a distinctive aspect of late-19th century boys wear.

Created: 8:18 AM 9/25/2025
Last updated: 8:18 AM 9/25/2025