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When we talk about jacket styles, we are for the most part talking about the style of the jackets. Suit jackets continued to be standard boys' garments in the 1910s and worn for occasions that seem rather strange to us today as suits and dressing up are much less common. We notice different suit jacket styles for boys in the 1910s, but not as wide a variety as was once worn. Jacket styles seem much more standardized. Norfolk jackets continued to be popular in the 1910s. Lapel sack suit jackets became standard in the 1910s. We see both single- and double-breasted jackets. But many of the single-breasted jackets are Norfolk jackets. They were the dominant jacket styles. Double-breasted jackets seem particularly popular. And there does not seem to be any age conventions. We see quite young boys wearing the double-breasted jackets. The boys here show the two most popular styles (figure 1). After the 10s, the double-breasted jackets begin to decline in popularity, especially for boys. We see fewer younger boys wearing them and the boys in general. We are not entirely sure why. We no longer see collar buttoning jackets to any extent, a style which had been popular for decades.
We no longer see collar buttoning jackets to any extent, a very popular jacket style which had been popular for decades, primarily in the 19th century. We continue to see some in the 1900s decade, but not to any extent in the 1910s. At least not in the photographic record.
Double-breasted jackets seem particularly popular in the 1910s, one of the two most popular styles. This surprised us a little because growing up at mid-century, double-breasted styling was seen as rather dated, mostly worn by men, if not older men. But in the 1910s, many boys wore double-breasted suits. And there does not seem to have been any age conventions. We see quite young boys wearing the double-breasted jackets. Younger boys might wear sailor suits, but not other forms of sack suits. After the 10s, the double-breasted jackets begin to decline in popularity, especially for younger boys. We see fewer younger boys wearing them and the boys in general. We are not entirely sure why. There may have been a social-class factor here. We see many of these suits in studio photography dominated mostly by affluent clientele, but fewer in 1910s school photography which included a wider share of the socio-economic spectrum. A lot of these jackets were worn with fobs. The styling tended to high set lapels that provided a relatively small opening for the shirt collar and ties. We see both neckties and bow ties. Like other suits styles they were mostly worn with knickers.
We begin to see junior Eton suits for younger boys beginning in the 1920s, but we do not yet see them in thev1910s. These were jackets without lapels. This would become a major style for younger boys beginning in the 1920s.
Norfolk jackets continued to be very popular in the 1910s. Styles varied. Not all Norfolk jackets had the vertical pleats and the waist belt. Some had only one of the two elements. Lapel sack suit jackets became standard in the 1910s. We see both single- and double-breasted jackets. Norfolk jackets were the most popular single-breasted style. We no longer see the collar buttoning style. Norfolk jackets were one of the two most popular jacket styles. Norfolk styling peaked in the 1910s and declined in the 1920s and subsequent decades.
Many if not most of the single-breasted jackets were Norfolk styled. They were the dominant jacket styles. We do see all that many of the regular single-breasted jackets.
Sweaters of course were not suits. But in the 1910s we see boys wearing sweaters rather than suit jackets in any numbers. The primary swearer style was cardigans. We see these sweaters in 1910s school photography.
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