Figure 1.--Here we see see three Texas brothers wearing various Fauntleroy-inspired outfits, but all have floppy bows. They look large to modern eyes, but were rsather modest by Fauntleory standards. This hoes how the Fauntleroy Craze was not justpopulr with big oy fashoon centers, but i small towns throughout the country. The cabinet card portraitis undated, but looks like the lae-1890s. The studio was Pratt in Waiahache, Texas.

America in the 1890s surpassed Britain and Germany as the world's leading industrial power. Unlike the European powers, the United States did not use its industrial power to build a powerful military. Expanding industry and high wages attracted more and more immigrants, reaching new highs sought seeking the good paying jobs offered by American industry. Prosperity in America caused a sartorial arms race among American mothers who were determined to make their sons reflect the family success with larger and larger Fauntleroy inspired collars and floppy bows. The Fauntleroy craze continued throughout the decade, but began to taper off slightly with the turn-of-the 20th century. Looking at these images youngest the impression that these were rich kids. This was not the case although the quality of the outfits did vary by social class. These outfits were adopted worn by a broad spectrum of American families throughout the country. Floppy bows were an important part of the Fauntleroy look. They became very popular as boys' neck wear during the 1880s. This continued into the 1890s. They were commonly worn throughout the decade. It was in the 1890s that the floppy bow reached the peak of its popularity and prominence for boys' wear. We see even more boys wearing them, and increasingly older boys including younger teens. T We notice every conceivable color and pattern and different sizes. Younger boys usually wore the largest sizes, at least in relative terms. We also see quite old boys with large bows. Floppy bows were worn both with Fauntleroy suits, kilt suits, and regular suits. It was also common to see them being worn during the summer with just a blouse without a suit jacket. Not all boys wore floppy bows with Fauntleroy collars, but they were very common. And the collars could be very large. A good example of a boy with a large floppy bow and collar is H. Harry Crowell in 1890. Not all boys had these large bows. We note the Kemp brothers who wear moderate-sized bows in 1898. The large floppy bows, however, were very common. And we see floppy bows through the end of the decade. A good example is Percy Jackman in 1899. Around the turn of the 20th century they began to fall in size.

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