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The photographic record clearly shows many American 7-year olds wearing Fauntleroy outfits of various styles. There were a range of options available for fashion-minded mothers. This included both classic Fauntleroy suits with cut-away jackets and regular suits. Both were worn with with fancy blouses. Younger boys wore the cut-way jacket suits. This was the primary option for pre-school boys, but also common to a lesser degree for 6- and 7-year olds. We begin to see more of a second option begins to become more common at about 7 years of age. We see regular suits in various styles, but double-breasted jackets were common. A variety of Fauntleroy trim could be used. This could be a Fauntleroy blouse and floppy bow, but was often just a more limited Fauntleroy trim. The blouses could have huge collars and and often often elaborate cuffs as well. They were commonly, but not always worn with large floppy bows. Another option was just adding relatively moderate Fauntleroy trim. This might include the floppy bows. Many American boys also wore collar buttoning suits. This style been very important since he mid-19th century, but have begun to decline. Here Fauntleroy blouses could not be worn as the jacket would cover them up. . Rather Fauntleroy trim was pinned on to the jacket, somewhat emulating a blouse. The trim could include both a fancy collar and in some cases matching cuffs. The collar buttoning jacket had been a common style for school age boys for decades, including 7-year olds. his was a a minor option, but we some examples. We also see 7-year olds just wearing the fancy blouses without he jackets. We see this option becoming more common in the 1890s and 1900s. Middle-and upper-class men at he time did not commonly go out in public without a suit jacket. Some concessions were made for younger boys in the summer, a convention that become increasingly common by the turn-of the 20th century. We also notice that by the turn of he 20th century a new type of restrained Fauntleroy blouse made for school-age boys. These blouses were done in colors and prints. They has large, but not huge collars and no fancy front placket and cuffs. They were designed to be worn during he summer without jackets.
The first Fauntleroy suits were done with cut-away jackets and beauifully wrked fancy Fauntleroy blouses. his is what launched the Fauntleroy Craze after Mrs. Burnett began published her iconic story. They were often done in black velvet but there were other dark colors. Summer suits were done in lighter mterials, but were not as common. The boy here wars a summer Fauntleroy suit. Worth noting is that the bulk of the American population lived further north than is the case today. Thus summer was much shorter for most Americans than is now the case, not to mention the impact of global warming. Throughout the Fauntleroy era, the cut-away jacket suit was the standard Fauntleroy suit style and the classic image of the Fauntleroy suits. And almost all younger boys wearing Fauntleroy suis wore the classic cut-away jackets. The cut-away jacket was perfect for showing off the fancy blouses with huge collars, eaboate plackerts and matching cuffs. Younger boys wore the cut-way jacket suits. Portraits of these pre-school boys often show them virtually engulfed in the huge collars and massive floppy bows. This was the primary option for pre-school boys, but also common to a lesser degree for 6- and 7-year olds as we see here.
Boys also wore the fancy Fauntleroy bloues with regular suits. When we talk about Fauntleroy suits, we are generally talking about the classic Fauntleroy suits with small cut away jackets, fancy blouses, and knee pants. This included both winter suits and summer suits dobe in lighter masterail. The same fancy bluses were used with both. A good example of these suits is identical Fauntleroy suits worn by two unidentified Philadelphia brothers, we believe in the 1890s. The same blouses worn with the cut-awau jacjets were worn with regular lapel suits. Mothers simply had their boys wearing the regular jacjets open and not buttoned up. This allowed the fancy blouses to be seenand suitably admired by moher and her friends. We begin to see more of the second option at about 7 years of age. We see regular suits in various styles, but double-breasted jackets were common. The blouses could have huge collars and and often often elaborate cuffs as well. They were commonly, but not always worn with large floppy bows. While we see fewer boys by age 7 years wearing Fauntleroy suits, of course this did not mean that this was the age that boys stopped wearing a range of Fauntleroy trim and garments with regular suits. We see quite a bit of that in photographic record and this option becomes more and more important with older age groups. This almost always involved large ruffled collrs snd optional floppy bows.
A variety of Fauntleroy trim could be used. This could be a Fauntleroy blouse and floppy bow, but was often just a more limited Fauntleroy trim. Another option was just adding relatively moderate Fauntleroy trim. This might include the floppy bows.
Many American boys also wore collar buttoning suits. This style been very important since he mid-19th century, but have begun to decline. Here Fauntleroy blouses could not be worn as the jacket would cover them up. Rather Fauntleroy trim was pinned on to the jacket, somewhat emulating a blouse. The trim could include both a fancy collar and in some cases matching cuffs. The collar buttoning jacket had been a common style for school age boys for decades, including 7-year olds. This was a minor option, but we see some examples.
We also see 7-year olds just wearing the fancy blouses without he jackets. We see this option becoming more common in the 1890s and 1900s. Middle-and upper-class men at he time did not commonly go out in public without a suit jacket. Some concessions were made for younger boys in the summer, a convention that become increasingly common by the turn-of the 20th century. We also notice that by the turn of he 20th century a new type of restrained Fauntleroy blouse made for school-age boys. These blouses were done in colors and prints. They has large, but not huge collars and no fancy front placket and cuffs. They were designed to be worn during he summer without jackets.
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