Figure 1.--Here we see four boys about 10-13 years of age wearing Norfolk jackets with Eton collsrs and floppy bows. The floppy bows are relatively modest. We are not sure who the boys are. They seem rather close in age to be brothers. Perhaps some cousins were included. The name "Mrs. M. Collier" and a indecphierable note is written on the back so Collier may be the family name. The cabinet card portrait was taken at the A. Hausold studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The portrait is undated, but we suspect the 1890s. The mount has a floral border, unusual for a cabinet card. The card was also large, 10-1/2" x 7-1/4". This suggests the turn-of-the 20th century, perhaps the early 1900s. The outfits, however, are more consitent with the 1890s.

Norfolk suits were popular for about half a century from about the 1880s through the 1920s. Thus they were worn with quite a range of accompany garments that were subject to significant stylidtic changes as fashions changed. Here we are primarily talking about headwear, shirts and blouses (and associated collars), and neckwear. At this time we are unsure about 19th century headwear, but after the turn-of-the 20th century wecsee many boys wearing flat caps with Norfolk suits. Shirts and bloyses are more coomplicated in part because in the 19th century boys wore Norfolk jackets without lapels that buttoned at the collar. Thus we can not see the blouse or shirt/shirt waust they are wearing. We can see large detachable collars like Eton collars that were popular. They were odten worn with floppy bows. After the turn-of-the 20th century we begin to see Norfolk jackets with lapels more commonly. Eton collars were still worn, but soft collars becoming increasingly common. And calong with this trend neckties began replacing floppy bows

Headwear

We see a variety of headwear worn with Norfolk suits, primarily because headwear styles changed during the long period that Norfolk styling was popular. At this time we are unsure about the headwear boys wore with Norfolk suits during the 19th century. We think various types of hats werre most common, but this needs to be confirmed. We know much more about the 20th century. We mostly notice boys wearing caps after the turn-of-the century in the 20th century. There were a variety of caps in the 1900s, but by the 1910s, flat caps were standard wear for American boys. In sharp contrast to the variety of caps worn in the 1900s, we rarely see other styles in the 1910s and 20s. So we see numerous images of boys wearing flat caps with Norfolk suits. The flast cap and Norfolk suits became a caricature cof school boys during the early-20th cerntury. Hats were also worn, but the photographic record suggests that they were not very common.

Shirts and Collars

We see Norfolk suits being worn with a wide variety of shirts and shirt-like garments. Shirts and blouses are more complicated in part because in the 19th century boys wore Norfolk jackets without lapels that buttoned at the collar. Thus we can not see the blouse or shirt/shirt waist they are wearing. We can see large detachable collars like Eton collars that were popular. The Norfolk collar seems especially popular with Norfolk jackets and wasworn during several decaded durung which there were major changes in shirts and collars. By the 1880s when the Norfolk suit had become a major style, we see quite a number of boys wearing it witn Eton collars. We do not, however, see many boys wearing Norfolk jackets with lace or ruffled collars. We are not exactly sure why. Presumably the age conventions for Norfolk suits were a factor or perhaps the Norfolk suit had a sporty look that did not go well with lace or ruffled collars. The Eton collar of course was also a formal collar. Both to an extent had school associations.see Eton collars after the turn-of-the 20th century, but they fradually beconme less common. After the turn-of-the 20th century we begin to see Norfolk jackets with lapels more commonly. Eton collars were still worn, but soft collars becoming increasingly common. We see Eton collars wirn much less commonly with the Norfolk jackets that had lapels.

Neckwear

Norfolk suits in the 19th century were commonly worn with floppy bows. This seems to have less to do with any association between the two them the coincidence that the floppy bow becane popiuilar for boys at aboyt the csame time that the Norfolk jacket was a major style. Another factor was that many Norgolk jackets were collar buttoning rather than lapel jackets and thus could not be worn with neckties. Around the turn-of-th 20th century, neckties began replacing floppy bows

Hosiery

Norfolk suits were commonly done as knee pants suits and later knicker suits. We mostly notice American boys wearing long stockings with both the knee pants and knicker Norfolk suits. This was the case in both the 19th and early-20th centuries. Knee socks became more common in the 1930s, but by this time Norfolk suits were declining in popular.

Footwear

Created: 7:07 PM 6/23/2010
Last updated: 4:33 AM 10/27/2010