Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
Although my personal recall is a bit dim, I do have specific memory of one velvet suit because of a picture my mother still possesses. I think I was 7 or perhaps 8 at the oldest.
It was black or perhaps dark blue. The short pants hit well above the knee about mid thigh. the collarless jacket was hip length. White knee socks and traditional
saddle shoes. The jacket was buttoned to a V neck and over it was displayed a white Peter Pan collar with what appears to be a nylon type (I called it 'prickly') lace
ruffled trim. The collar was perhaps 2" with a 1/2" lace trim. The blouse collar extends half way across the shoulder with the lace ruffled trim fluttered up like little
wings off the top of the shoulder. A 1963 Little Lord Fauntleroy.
I was dressed in very fancy outfits as a boy growing up in an upper middle class (bordering on the elite community) suburban area. I was never dressed in a variety of short pants suits. The time period was mid 1950s-60s. Boys, especially boys from affluent families once common wore short pants suits. Biy they were becoming less and less common at the time I was growing up.
Some of the blouses when I was younger were very fancy now that I think about it. I wore eton suits until 11 regularly, with one occasion when I was 12...a family portrait sitting. The range of styles basically revolved around the following. Short pants(duh), and a collarless short jacket, white blouse with a zillion versions of a round flat collar worn out, knee socks with saddle shoes or anklets with double bar closed toe T-straps. The latter footwear was worn when I was small until 6 or so. I wore lace trimmed or self ruffled blouses with my velvet suits, and plain white cotton round collar blouses with the wool eton suits/outfits. The frilly blouses and velvet suits were for church and Sunday afternoon dinner, I wore these until I was 8 years old.
My mother special ordered my suits from Marshall Fields during that later period. I remember one time when the boxes containing what I now believe to have been ring bearer outfits were delivered. I still remember the trepedation I felt as mother unwrapped the tissue and what I would be wearing every sunday still to this day. I really dreaded being taken out in these but I guess as a younger boy I enjoyed the attention from my sister and mother. My father must not have minded, but they were divorced when I was 5 so I really don't remember his reaction.
Other less formal clothes were laid out everyday after school. Typical pictures and memory recalls that these would consist of gray short pants,gray knee socks, saddle shoes, white blouse with a Peter Pan or Bermuda collar (all my collars were typically wider than the narrow ones some of my friends were thrust in as 7-8 year olds), and a sweater. The round collar was always worn out. The short pants I wore were cuffed and very short. I did have several corduroy knickers that I wore when I was older.
Summer outfits of memory were nautical mostly, sailor suits were always a favorite. White sailor collar shirts with navy suspender short pants, white knee socks and navy/white saddle shoes were the basic uniform.
I had to wear this exact outfit when my sister was confirmed at the end of my 5th grade! the sailor blouse was a girls because mine from the prior year did not fit (mother confirmed this story to me a few years ago, she thought it was sweet). So the one I wore she bought at a local childrens store the Saturday before the Confirmation. I went with her and she could not find any acceptable 'shirt' in the boys section. I did not try anything on but somehow we went home with two blouses. One was the sailor collar with short puffed sleeves, the other was a ruffled round collar back button, short puffed sleeves. The latter one I wore only once but it was horrible. That was the one time I was dressed in a Eton suit and ruffled collar at 12.
Fauntleroy Related Pages:
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