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We still see quite a number of boys a age 6-years wearing Fauntleroy suits. Not as many as at age 5, but still quite a number. A major factor here was school. Age 6 years is the age that children began scool. And school meant that a boys world begn to open up beyond the family for the first time. We see a few boys at school wearing Fauntleroy suits in the school portaits that began to become standard during the 1880s when the the Fauntleroy Craze took off. We continue to see some Fauntleroy suits in the 1890s, but not very many. We note both the classic Fauntleroy cut-away jacket as well as standard jackets worn with Fauntleroy blouses or pin-on collars. The collar, floppy bows, and cuff ruffles or often so large that this difference may not be immeditely apparent. American boys for the most part began school at about age 6 years. A few boys wore Fauntleroy suits or at least the blouses to school, but usually only a few in each class. Upon beginning school, boys were exposed to ideas and opinions outside the home in a major way for the first time. And comments about their clothes as well as seeing how the other boys dressed, signicantly affected how boys saw themselves and their clothes. Boys this age were not nearly as concerned with clothes as girls, but they did care if something they were wearing attracted attention, especially negative attention from the other. Mother was still the dominant influence in their lives, but as the school year progressed, boys began to begin to think a little more for themselves. And while this process my not change attitudes immediately, would over time. That said it is notable how few boys wore Fauntleroy suits to school, even in the middle of the Fauntleroy craze. Most of our images are studio portraits. Thus we do not get to see where boys wore their Fauntleroy suits. We suspose to parties, church, and other formal occassions. We do know that boys by the time they were 6-years old did not commoinly wear thrir Fauntleroy suits to school. This we know because it was becoming increasingly common by the 880s to take school portraits. Thus unlike other occassions, we have a substantial photographic record to assess. The Fauntleroy suit was clearly not a style boys usually wore to school. We think some boys had Fauntleroy suits, but did not wear them to school. We do see boys with large collars, but not the really fancy white Fauntleroy blouses. After starting school many boys no longr wanted to wear Fauntleroy outfits. This was an age, however, that most boys still wore what they were told. This becomes less true after age 6, but boys age 6 still wore Fauntleroy suits although not to school. As a result after age 6-7 we begin to see far fewer boys wearing Fauntleroy outfits. Both Fauntleroy suits and blouses continued to be readily available throughout the late-1880s, 189os, and early 1900s for boys 6 years old. We note an unidentified boy who looks to be about 6-7 years old. The last image of a 6-year old we have found is an unidentified boy in 1910. We know, however, that Fauntleroy suis were still avialble in mail order catalgs into the 1920s for even older boys. They were not very common, however, as we see very few in the photographic record.
We still see quite a number of boys a age 6-years wearing Fauntleroy suits. Not as many as at age 5, but still quite a number. A major factor here was school. Age 6 years is the age that children began scool. And school meant that a boys world begn to open up beyond the family for the first time. We see a few boys at school wearing Fauntleroy suits in the school portaits that began to become standard during the 1880s when the the Fauntleroy Craze took off. We continue to see some Fauntleroy suits in the 1890s, but not very many.
We note both the classic Fauntleroy cut-away jacket as well as standard jackets worn with Fauntleroy blouses or pin-on collars. The collar, floppy bows, and cuff ruffles or often so large that this difference may not be immeditely apparent. You have to look closely to see that this boy is wearing a standard double-breasted jacket and not s classic cut-away jacket because he is wearing his jacket open (figure 1). American boys for the most part began school at about age 6 years. A few boys wore Fauntleroy suits or at least the blouses to school, but usually only a few in each class. Upon beginning school, boys were exposed to ideas and opinions outside the home in a major way for the first time. And comments about their clothes as well as seeing how the other boys dressed, signicantly affected how boys saw themselves and their clothes. Boys this age were not nearly as concerned with clothes as girls, but they did care if something they were wearing attracted attention, especially negative attention from the other. Mother was still the dominant influence in their lives, but as the school year progressed, boys began to begin to think a little more for themselves. And while this process my not change attitudes immediately, would over time. That said it is notable how few boys wore Fauntleroy suits to school, even in the middle of the Fauntleroy craze.
Most of our images are studio portraits. This was the dominant form of photography during the 19th century and most of the Fauntelroy Craze Era (1885-1905). We do not begin to see many family snapshots until the appearance of the Kodak Brownie (1900). Thus we do not get to see much of where boys wore their Fauntleroy suits until snapshots become common. We suspose they were worn to parties, church, and other formal occassions. We do know that boys by the time they were 6-years old did not commonly wear thrir Fauntleroy suits to school. This we know because it was becoming increasingly common by the 1880s to take school portraits. Thus unlike other occassions, we have a substantial photographic record to assess during the 1880s, 90s, and 1900s. The Fauntleroy suit was clearly not a style boys usually wore to school. We think some boys had Fauntleroy suits, but did not wear them to school. Which is part of the reason we see many studio portraits, buit no nearly as many in the school photography.
We do see boys with large collars, but not the really fancy white Fauntleroy blouses. After starting school many boys no longr wanted to wear Fauntleroy outfits. This was an age, however, that most boys still wore what they were told. This becomes less true after age 6, but boys age 6 still wore Fauntleroy suits although not to school. As a result after age 6-7 we begin to see far fewer boys wearing Fauntleroy outfits.
Both Fauntleroy suits and blouses continued to be readily available throughout the late-1880s, 1890s, and early 1900s for boys 6 years old. We note an unidentified boy who looks to be about 6-7 years old. The last image of a 6-year old we have found is an unidentified boy in 1910. We know, however, that Fauntleroy suis were still avialble in mail order catalgs into the 1920s for even older boys. They were not very common, however, as we see very few in the photographic record.
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