Figure 1.--This portrait was painted by Wjbryant of an unidentified Massachusettes boy in 1853. Note the modest size. Only after the Civil War did larger collars begin to become popular. Click on the image to see the entire portrait.

The lace collar as an important specifically boys's fashion did not come about until the late 19th century. Some boys wore elaborate collars, both open and closed, with skeletion suits in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but these appear to have been more commonly ruffled rather than lace collars. We begin to notice lace collars on boys in the mid-19th century. At this time they were generally small modest-size collars. The size of the colars and the popularity began to grow in the 1870s. The fashion became very popular of course after the publication of Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1885, especially in America. Boys began to be seen with large lace collars. There are many examples of boys wearing lace collars archived on HBC. A good example is Martin Allister Wambold in 1886. There were even larger collars in the 1890s, but these were usually ruffled collars rather than lace collars. Many but not all boys also wore large bows which tended to cover up thei lace collars. The use of large bows continued throughout the period that large lace collars were popular and after and depended on the mother's fashion sence rather than any chronological pattern. By the mid-1890s, less expensive, but still large ruffled collars began to replace the lace collar for boys.

The 1800s

The lace collar as an important specifically boys's fashion did not come about until the late 19th century. Some boys wore elaborate collars, both open and closed, with skeletion suits in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but these appear to have been more commonly ruffled rather than lace collars.

The 1850s

We begin to notice lace collars on boys in the mid-19th century. At this time they were generally small modest-size collars. Here we see an unidentified American boy in 1853 wearung what looks like a tunic over a pleated skirt (figure 1). Perhaps it is akilt suit. His collar is larger than most we noted in the 1850s. And we notice an English boy wearing a lace collar with a tunic in the early-1950s. It was a depiction of an idealized Victoruian family.

The 1860s

The 1870s

The size of the colars and the popularity began to grow in the 1870s.

The 1880s

We see pin-on lace collars in the early-1880s well before Mrs. Burnett published her story. A good example is American boy Georgie Truman in 1881. His fancy dress also had lace trim at the wrist cuffs. The lace collar fashion became much more popular of course after the publication of Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1885, especially in America. Boys began to be seen with large lace collars. There are many examples of boys wearing lace collars archived on HBC. A good example is Martin Allister Wambold in 1886. Another example is Lloyd Lott wearing a pin-on lace collar in 1889. Notice that the lace collars could be large, but generally not enormousd.

The 1890s

There were even larger collars in the 1890s, but these were usually ruffled collars rather than lace collars. Many but not all boys also wore large bows which tended to cover up thei lace collars. The use of large bows continued throughout the period that large lace collars were popular and after and depended on the mother's fashion sence rather than any chronological pattern. By the mid-1890s, less expensive, but still large ruffled collars began to replace the lace collar for boys.

Created: 3:05 AM 10/28/2004
Last updated: 6:18 PM 9/15/2013