Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentuified Cincinate American boy wearing a Fauntleroy suit. Notice the peaked cap on the table. The portrait is undated, but the suit and mount date it to the 1890s. The studio was Muller.

The peaked cap first appeared in Britain during the mid-19th century as a sport or games cap. We do not see them in America until the 1880s, although they could have crossed the Atlantic a little earlier. We do see boys wearing these caps with Fauntleroy suits and kilt suits in the 1880s. It was one of many types of headwear worn with these outfits. They were popular at the turn of the 20th century for boys of all social classes. Flat caps eclipsed the peaked cap in the 1910s. Peaked caps were not extensively worn at American schools. By the 1910s we mostly see flat caps. And American boys did not wear school uniforms. Beginning in the 1920s as sailor caps declined in popularity, well dressed American boys began to wear peaked caps in colors matching their suits. The peaked cap was worn in America before the 1920s. While it was a popular style, it was not a dominate style. Ny the 1940s, the peaked cap was the style for American boys to wear with a suit. This continued until the late 1950s when it became less common to wear caps and hats. Even so, a n American boy wearing an Eton suit would commonly wear an Eton cap.

The 19th Century

The peaked cap first appeared in Britain during the mid-19th century as a sport or games cap. We are not sure just when these caps acrossed the Atlantic. Many American private schools has close associations with British schhools--the prepratoty and public (elite private bording) schools. They followed the methods and traditions of these schools. Thus we expect that the first peaked caps appeared at American private schools. We see these caps being worn with quite a range of outfits in the late-19th century. We are not sure about the 1870s. We note boys wearing these caps with kilt suits, but do not yet dated 1870s examples. We do not yet have any dated examples. The first exmples we have noted is a few younger boys wearing them with Little Lord Faumtleroy suits. This meant the 1880s. We note boys wearing them with Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits, and many other outfit characteristic of the period. We do see boys wearing these caps with Fauntleroy suits and kilt suits in the 1880s. It was one of many types of headwear worn with these outfits. This continued into the 1890s. as was common, the only examples we have are from studio portraits whicjh mny for dressy, formal occasions. We see them being wirn both matching the suit and ijn contrasting material and colors. It is a little hsrd to tell, but the boy's cap here seem to be close in color to his jcket, but not matching, presumasbly purchased seprately. Amateur snapshots were not common until the turn-of-the 20th century. This we do not know to wht extent thy were worn as a casual cap. We see this in early-20th century sbapshots so we suspect it was also common in the late-19th century.

The 20th Century

Peaked caps were popular at the turn of the 20th century for boys of all social classes. We seen them being worn by working-class boys in the very early 20th century. A good example is newsboy Simmon Mellito in 1910. This changed during the 1910s and by the 1920s these peaked caps in the United States had a very definite class image. We are not sure just why this developed. We note them being more commonly woirn by boys from well-off or at least comfortable middle class families. Flat caps eclipsed the peaked cap in the 1910s. Peaked caps were not extensively worn at American schools. By the 1910s we mostly see flat caps. And American boys did not wear school uniforms. A good example are two unidentified boys about 1910. After World War I the convention of wearing them with regular suits became more stadardized. There were social class connotations. Beginning in the 1920s as sailor caps declined in popularity, well dressed American boys began to wear peaked caps in colors matching their suits. The peaked cap was worn in America before the 1920s. This was the most common cap style worn with short pants suits, especially the Eton suits worn by younger American boys. We see quite a number of photographs of American boys wearing Eton suits with peaked hats. We see both family snapshots and advertisements, such as an insurance ad in the 1960s. We believe that it was popular in America in part because of its English association. Some private American schools may have used the cap as part of the uniform as in Britain. American Cub Scouts used it as part of the uniform for many years. While the peaked cap was a popular style with affluent families, it was not a dominate style. By the 1940s, the peaked cap was the style for American boys to wear with a suit. This continued until the late 1950s when it became less common to wear caps and hats. Even so, an American boy wearing an Eton suit would commonly wear an Eton cap. After the 1960s these peaked caps were still worn, but mostly by pre-school boys. This was the cap worn by American boys from affluent families, normally with a suit and done to match the suit.

Created: 8:26 PM 2/4/2011
Last updated: 3:47 AM 8/30/2015