The floppy bow was a style worn by adults at the turn of the 19th century. It was popular during the Regency in Britain where it was worn by Beau Brummel. I think it was less common in America. While our information is limited on the early, 19th century, photography by the mid-19th century provides us a great deal of information. Men and boys during the mid-19th century wore inconspicuous and usuall black stocks. Boys often wore no neckwear at all. This began to change in the 1860s when we notice small bows replacing stocks. Collars continued to be fairly small in size. We notice mostly small bows in the 1870s which gradually grew larger as did collars. A good example is an unidentified Salem boy. A major change occuured in the 1880s. These bows by the 1880s and especially the 1890s grew markedly in size and by the late 1880s and 90s could be gigantic, sometimes almost dwarfing a small boy. This was of course part of the Fauntleroy craze. These large bows were very common. 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 aestinctive aspect of late-19th century boyswear. A good example 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, howver were very common. Around the turn of the 20th century they began to fall in size.

The 1800s

The floppy bow was a style worn by adults at the turn of the 19th century. It was popular during the Regency in Britain where it was worn by Beau Brummel. I think it was less common in America.

The 1840s

While our information is limited on the early, 19th century, photography by the mid-19th century provides us a great deal of information. The Saguerreotype was invented in France during 1839 and studios almost immediately began appearing in America. There were studios by the end of the decaded in every city of any size. Thus for the first time we have very detailed information on popular fashions. Men and boys during the mid-19th century wore inconspicuous and usuall black stocks. Boys often wore no neckwear at all with very small white collars.

The 1850s

We continue to see boys wearing mostly small collars in the 1850s, often without neckwear in the 1850s. We see some bots wearing nlack stocks. The neckwear when worn also tended to be small in the 1850s. This followed the general trend that the size of the nedckwear was in proportion to the size of the collars. Black was a common color for neckwear, in part because the black stock was so common with men. We see a few boys with large bows, but based on the photographic record this was unusual. The bow we note seem to be the type that lie down flat rather than the floppy bow type that kind of billow out which became so common in the 1880s. The few large boiws we see sseem more extensions of stocks than bows.

The 1860s

Neckwear trends began to change in the 1860s and with the introduction of CDVs we see much larger numbers of images. We notice small bows replacing stocks in the 60s. Collars continued to be fairly small in size. This generall meant that the bows were also small in size. For some reason with all the diversity in collar size and style and bow sizes and styles, there was an unwritten rule that small bows went with small collars and large biws with large cilklars. We have noted some exceptions, but this was a widely followed convention throughout the 19th century. Boys often did not wear bows with the cut-away jackets that were popular for younger boys.

Figure 1.-- The trend of growing collars and bows was especially notable by the lae-1870s and early 80s. We are not entirely sure why these changes occurred. It may have been a European fashion influence, but we are not entirely sure about this.

The 1870s

We see more boys wearing bows in the 1870s than in the 60s. And the cut-away jackets of the 60s became less common. We also notice mostly small bows in the 1870s which gradually grew larger as did collars. The trend of growing collars and bows was especially notable by the lae-1870s and early 80s. We are not entirely sure why these changes occurred. It may have been a European fashion influence, but we are not entirely sure about this. The bows tended to be rather subdued in the 1870s. We note Gordon Bently wearing a simple flat bow in 1879. The bright patterns were much more common in the 1880s and especially the 1890s. A good example is an unidentified Salem boy. Floppy bows were often worn with kilt suits. The kilt suit was a major style for younger boys. We don't see boys wearing floppy bows with dresses, presumably because girls also did not commonly wear them. The kilt suit was a different mstter. We see many boys wearing floppy bows with the popular kilt suir, both with cutaway and other jckets and with blouses. Knee pants were not yet universal for boys so we see many boys wearing floppy bows with long pants suits. It is not always possible to tell the difference between the 1870s and 80s, but the size of collars and bows is a good indicator, they tended to be much smaller in the 70s. A good example is the outfit worn by John Faulkes suring the 1870s. John does not have a collar at all and his bow is very small.

Figure 2.-- A major change occuured in the 1880s. The moderate size bows worn in the 1870s grew markedly in size and by the late-1880s and 90s could be gigantic, sometimes almost dwarfing a small boy. This was of course part of the Fauntleroy craze. This boy was from Daton, Ohio.

The 1880s

A major change occuured in boys neckwear in the 1880s. 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 boes began to become popular anf grow in size at mid-century. We note Harry B. Decker with a floopy bow, but not yet an enormos 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 rms 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 durung the 1870s. But the extremes of the Fauntleroy style were detinctly American. This included the wide age range of the boys wearing them, the ringlet curls, and the emense 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 aestinctive aspect of late-19th century boyswear.

Figure 3.-- Floppy bows increased in popularity during the 1890s. It was in the 1890s that the floppy bow reached the peak of its popularity and pominance for boys' wear. The bright patterns like the one this boy from Jonnstown, Peensylvania wears were very popular.

The 1890s

Floppy bows increased in popularity during the 1890s and were commonly worn throughout the decade. . It was in the 1890s that the floppy bow reached the peak of its popularity and pominance for boys' wear. We see even more boys wearing them, and increasinly older boys including younger teens. 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 wirn diring the summer with just a blouse without a suit jacket. A good example of a boy with a large flopy 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, howver 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: 2:58 AM 8/10/2008
Last updated: 12:35 PM 6/27/2016