Age Trends
By age 7 we begin to see fewer boys wearing Fauntleroy suits, but it was not really a rare outfit for boys that age--especially before the turn-of-the 20th century. We see examples in the photographic record. Here school and the fact boys at this age were becoming more aware of themselves were important factors. Boys at age 6 were just beginning school generally wore what ever mother chose for them without asking a lot questions, especially in the 19th century. For most it was the first majir step away from home and in to the wider world. After a year of school, they began to be a little more wordly wise. And comments made by other boys at school were very influential about how they saw their clothes. The 1st grade had taught them a great deal. Most boys now had some idea about what to expect at school. They had learned what mother said and decided did not always work that well with their school mates. Boys at this age were much less interested in clothing than girls. But they did take notice if other boys made comments or were dressed differently than their school mates. They also were influenced by how the older boys dressed and often wanted the styles the older boys were wearing.
Studio Portraits
We still see boys at age 7 wearing Fauntleroy suits, but fewer than 6 year olds and most notably not to school. Most of what we have found are formal studio portraits which occasionally have names and ages inscribed on the back. Studio portrait genrally show children dressed up in their best outfirs meaning how they would be dressed for church, parties, or other outings, occasions that at the time were not photographed. The Kodak Brownie which essentially created the snap shot did not appear until 1900 whuich mean the end of the Fauntleroy era.
Catalogs
We do not yet have much catalog information providing age ranges. We note Montgomery Wards offering classic Fauntleroy suits with cut-away jackets in 1895 up to size 7 years. This was no accident. It meant that 7 years was the oldest age for which there was a good demand for Fauntleroy suits.
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.
Schoolwear
We see, however, very few boys wearing Fauntleroy suits to school. By the 1880s, school photography was becoming an established tradition. And we can track that throughout the Fauntleroy era: including the 1880s, the 1890s and the 1900s. Both Fauntleroy suits and blouses continued to be available throughout the late-1880s, 1890s, and early 1900s for boys 7 years old.
Hair Styles
Most 7 year olds wore Fauntleroy suits with short hair cuts, but we note a few boys with longer cuts and curls. Jesse here is agood example (figure 1).
HBC
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Created: 5:53 PM 11/2/2008
Last updated: 12:09 PM 12/23/2023
