Figure 1.--Here we see the back of Harris' blackk velvet kilt suit shoe=wing off the elaboratte lace collar. Collars like this were not common. What most boys wore were large linnen ruffled collars.

Lace collars for boys are strongly associated with this period. Actually they were relatively rare. This was true for both Fauntleroy suits and kilt suits. What was common was large ruffled collars. Some had lace trim, but most did not. This is not the lace collar that Harris actually wore, but it is similar (figure 1). It has been added to show what his outfit actually looked like. Lace is expensive and thus could not be done in the size that most mothers wanted for these collars. You can not see it poperly because of the floppy bow, but a back view gives an excellent view of the collar. Collars like this ironically were much more commion for woomen and often middle-age and elderly women.