|
The second of the two Norfolk elements was the horizontal waist self-belt. This was a partial self built done in the same material as the rest of the suit. We do not see the belts on many of the 19th century suits, but we see the belts very commonly on the 20th century Norfolk suits. We are not sure why all of the sudden, manufacturers decided to add the belt. Like the vertical elements, the belts were done in various styles and approaches adding to the stylistic variety of Norfolk suits. The belts requited belt loops near waist level on the jacket. We are not sure, but the belts may have been attached to the jacket at the back. Otherwise there would be examples in the photographic record of boys wearing these suits with the self-belts missing. It is easy to spot suits with the self-belt intended because of the belt loops. As far as we can tell, the belt had no real purpose, but to keep the jacket closed. Perhaps that was needed in hunting, but for regular boys' suits, it was entirely ornamental. The general impact was more or less to force the boy to close his jacket. It gave a very unsightly look to leave the self-belt undone and the sides left dangling. We do not note countless examples in the photographic record, both studio portraits and snapshots. What ever the value of the belt, the Norfolk suit was enormously popular, especially in the 1910s. We see huge numbers of them in the photographic record and they were a prominent fixture in mail order catalogs. The 1910s of course was the hey-day of the Model-T Ford and the suburbs and with the self-belted Norfolk jackets went flat caps, in this case a matching flat cap, knickers, and long often black stockings. The first Norfolk suits we see for boys in the 19th century were made with vertical pleats without belts. The last Norfolk suits seem to have been made with the self-belts without the vertical pleats. After the turn of the century, especially by the 1910s we begin to see the vertical pleat being de-emphasized, but the belts were standard. The boy's suit here is a good example. We are just beginning our chronological assessment, but our initial assessment is that this seems to be the case.
The second of the two Norfolk elements was the horizontal waist self-belt. This was a partial self built done in the same material as the rest of the suit. We do not see the belts on many of the 19th century suits, but we see the belts very commonly on the 20th century Norfolk suits. We are not sure why all of the sudden, manufacturers decided to add the belt.
Like the vertical elements, the belts were done in various styles and approaches adding to the stylistic variety of Norfolk suits. The belts requited belt loops near waist level on the jacket. We are not sure, but the belts may have been attached to the jacket at the back. Otherwise there would be examples in the photographic record of boys wearing these suits with the self-belts missing. It is easy to spot suits with the self-belt intended because of the belt loops.
As far as we can tell, the belt had no real purpose, but to keep the jacket closed. Perhaps that was needed in hunting, but for regular boys' suits, it was entirely ornamental. The general impact was more or less to force the boy to close his jacket. It gave a very unsightly look to leave the self-belt undone and the sides left dangling.
We do not note countless examples in the photographic record during the early-20th century, both studio portraits and snapshots. There were different stles of suits worn, but Norfolk suits were one of the most popular styles It was a major style for school age boys. What ever the value of the belt, the Norfolk suit was enormously popular, especially in the 1910s. We see huge numbers of them in the photographic record and they were a prominent fixture in mail order catalogs. The Norfolk suit never approached the iconic level of the flat cap and knickers in American boys wear as we see here (figure 1), but it was close to doing so and extrodinarily popular, much more so than in any other country. We see many examples in the early-20th century of boys wearing Norfolk suits, sometimes all the boys in the family wearing these suits.
The 1910s of course was the heyday of the Model-T Ford and the suburbs and with the self-belted Norfolk jackets went flat caps, in this case a matching flat cap, knickers, and long often black stockings. It was also the decade of the World War I disaster and America's emrgence on the international scene. It was in the 1910s that America began its accent from the largest industrial nation to a super power with an econnomy beginning to approach that of most of Europe. Looking at the image here we have the embodiment of the American dream, a home in the suburbs with a nive lawn, the family automobile, and two happy well cared for kids. The only thing lacking is the white picket fence. And Hery Ford and the Model-T Tin Lizzy was at the center of it. This development will largely determin the outcome of the 20th century. In the area of fashion, it was the decade that America began to diverge from European fashion trends for boys.
The first Norfolk suits we see for boys in the 19th century were made with vertical pleats without belts. The last Norfolk suits seem to have been made with the self-belts without the vertical pleats. After the turn of the century, especially by the 1910s we begin to see the vertical pleat being de-emphasized, but the belts were standard. The boy's suit here is a good example. We are just beginning our chronological assessment, but our initial assessment is that this seems to be the case.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Min U.S. Nofolk jacket dsign elements]
[Return to the Main U.S. Norfolk jacket page]
[Return to the Main U.S. Norfolk styling page]
[Return to the Main U.S. Norfolk suits page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossary]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
