Eton Collars: Chronology


Figure 1.--This boy wears a large Eton collar and a blue bow for a tinted CDV portrait. The portrait is undated, but given the boy's hair cut and CDV format, we would guess it was made about 1860. The studio was J. Katterns in Northampton, England.

I am not yet sure of the precise chronology of the Eton collar. We are not entirely sure about the collars worn by Eton boys in the early 19th century. Surely they were Eton collars, but we are sure about the size of the collars and preceisely when boys began wearing them. We note boys in Europe wearing good sized Eton collars at mid-century. It was a fasionablbe style worn primarily by boys from affluent families. American boys at the time tended to wear very small collars, some were barely vissible above the jacket. The Eton collar was one of styles used for these small collars. The Eton collar had become increasingly important by the 1870s for a well dressed boy's wardrobe. We see them in both Europe and America. The Eton collar was widely worn in the 1890s with a variety of outfits. It was worn by boys from a much wider social spectrum than in the early- and mid-19th century. A good example is an unidentified American boy. Boys wore them not only when dressing up, but also to school. The Eton collar was commonly worn through the 1910s, but began to become less popular in the 1920s as soft collars made inwards. Some boys in the 1920s might commonly wear soft collars, but his dress suit might have an Eton collars. They were largely replaced by soft collar shirts in the 1920s, but see them occassionally into the 1940s.

The 18th Century

We are not sure precisely when the Eton collar first appeared. We know boys at Eton College were wearing them in the early 19th century. We are not sure if the Eton collar was worn in the late 18th century.

The 19th Century

I am not yet sure of the precise chronology of the Eton collar. We are not entirely sure about the collars worn by Eton boys in the early 19th century. Surely they were Eton collars, but we are sure about the size of the collars and preceisely when boys began wearing them. Also I am not sure if they were detachable as the detachable collar was a mid-19th century invention. We note boys in Europe wearing good sized Eton collars at mid-century. Some do not seem to stand up as much as the classic Eton collar. A good example is two London teenagers in the 1850s. It was a fasionablbe style worn primarily by boys from affluent families. American boys at the time tended to wear very small collars, some were barely vissible above the jacket. The Eton collar was one of styles used for these small collars. The Eton collar had become increasingly important by the 1870s for a well dressed boy's wardrobe. We see large Eton collars in both Europe and America by the 70s. The Eton collar was widely worn in the 1890s with a variety of outfits. It was worn by boys from a much wider social spectrum than in the early- and mid-19th century.


Figure 2.--This American boy boy, William Edward Freemn, wears an Eton collar with a small bow tie in 1911. He was 10 years old.

The 20th Century

The Eton collar continued to be a major boy's style in the early 20th century. They were worn in many countries. Good exmples are George and Ewan McTherson (1902). Another example is an unidentified American boy. Boys wore them not only when dressing up, but also to school as well. It was especially common in England. We nort many schools using it as part of a uniform, especially in England. It was particularly common at private schools, but we see boys at state schools also wearing Eton collars. The Eton collar was commonly worn through the 1910s. This began to change after World War I (1914-18). The Eton collar began to become less popular in the 1920s as soft collars made inwards. Some Engkish schools continued to require them, but they became much less common for ordinary wear. Some boys in the 1920s might commonly wear soft collars, but his dress suit might have an Eton collars. They were largely replaced by soft collar shirts in the 1920s, but see them occassionally into the 1940s. Younger American boys wore Eton shaped collars with the junioe Eton suits that became popular. Theese were not actual Eton collars, but blouses with relatively small Eton collars made as part of the blouse.






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Created: 6:39 PM 10/6/2007
Last updated: 7:30 PM 12/15/2007