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Floppy bows were very popular for American boys in the late-19th and very early-20th centuries. It was a popiular addition to Fauntleroy suit and other outfits. The bows were so popular that some mothers were not satisfied with the standard middy blouse scarve with sailor outfits and replaced them or even added the floppy bows that were so popular at the time. This helps to date the images. Sailor outfits worn with floppy bows rather than sarves were mostly see during the Fauntleroy craze, about 1885-1905. This rather defeated one of the purpses of the sailor suit, a comfortable plain suit a boy could wear. The sailor suit stood it stark contrast to the fancy Little Lord Fauntleroy suits of the late-19th century. In addition the open collar made the sailor suit much more comfortable to wear. adding a floppy bow created the same restrictive closed collar outfits as the Fauntleroy suit. Perhaps this is why mothers varied as to where they positioined the bows. Rather than af the collar covering over the V-front and dickie, we see mothers positioining the floppy bows at the bottom apex of the sailor V-collar. This is where the sailor scarfe was tied in a small bow. The floppy bow looks out of place here, but some mothers liked the look. We don't see a lot of boys wearing sailor suits with floppy bows, but as the floppy bow was so populr, it certainly was not unheard of.
Our assessmen of floppy bows and sailor suits requires an understnding of the basic associated garments and styles. Herevyou can find details on the sailor suit, sailor scarves, and floppy bows. Also we have information on th Faunrleroy craze which occurred at the sane time that the sailor suit as at the peaknof its popularity. And the floppy bow was one of the garments involvd with the Funtleroy craze.
Floppy bows were very popular for American boys in the late-19th and very early-20th centuries. It was a popiular addition to Fauntleroy suits and other outfits. Floppy bows were worn widely in Europe, but like the Fautleroy suit, no where were they as popular or as large as in America. And while they were primarily associated with Fauntleroy suits, fashion-concious mothers ingeniously used them wih virtually every garment imaginable duing the Faunleroy craze (1885-1905). We see them not only on fancy Fauntleroy blouses, but added to standard suits to give them a little Fauntleroy flair.
An entegral part of the sailor suit and middy blouse was the sailor scarfe The scarfe is a variously shaped cloth worn around the neck or over the head. Sailor scarves were worn around the neck, under the back flap and "V" collar and tied at the apex of the V front. Scarves were worn for both wamth and style, it it case of the sailor suit it was or style. Both boys and girls wore them. Many sailor blouses came with scarves. This was more the case with the pull-over middy blouses than the button-up jackets. We notice quite a few photograohs of boys wearing sailor blouses with scarves. Not all boys wore their sailor suits with a scarfe. but quite a number did. This was especially the case in formal studio portrait, but we also notice scarves in the more informal snapshots taken by parents. They were tied with a simple knot. Very different than the more elaborately tied German knot. The scarves were mostly navy blue or black silk scarves. This is what actual U.S. Navy sailors wore. We have also noted white and colored scarves, espcially red. We even notice patterened scarves such as plaid scarves While most were plain dark scarves, there was some variety. Quite a number of the better suits had embroidered designs like the ones done on the middy blouse dickies. Some mothers were not satisfied with the standard middy blouse scarfe and replaced them or even added the floppy bows that were popular in the late 19th century.
The sailor suit was one of the nost popular boys's outfits of all times. And floppy bows were for a time so popular that some mothers were not satisfied with the standard middy blouse scarve with sailor outfits and replaced them or even added the floppy bows that were so popular at the time. This was not the most popular choice, but we do se quite a number of examples in the photographic record.
St. Nicholas Magazine in its November 1885 issue published the first installment of Mrs. Burnett's romantic novel about a little American boy who inherits an aristocratic British title. The story was an enormous success.
Published as a book in 1886, it was an instant best seller in Americas. The book and resulting theatrical productions soon swept Engalnd and the Continent. No where, however, was the impact as pervasive as America. As a result of the book,innumerable American boys were subjected by their mothers to the fancy velvet suits. American mothers who before and after resisted the fancier European fashions for their boys--subcumed to the Fauntleroy craze. The fashion
is probably the most despised costume in the history of American boyhood: velvet knee length page-boy suits, delicate lace collars, and--the crowning ignominy-long, flowing sausage curls. Little Lord Fautleroy-style velvet suits with lace collars were worn by small boys as party dress before the publication of Ms. Burnett's famed novel. Most boys' suits of the era, both kilt and knee-length suits, however, before the publication of her book were rather plain. Some of the fashions include jackets that older boys or even men might have worn without comment. Mrs. Burnett's book changed that almost over night. Little Lord Fauumtleroy put these fancy velvet suits on the fashion map and gave them their name.
Sailor suits were worn over a century, while floppy bows. These floppy bows help to date the images, many of which are undated. The sailor suit wasworn over acentury, floppy bows had a much narrow time window. This helps to date the images. Sailor outfits worn with floppy bows rather than sarfes were mostly see during the Fauntleroy craze, about 1885-1905. The floppy bow on sailor suits may have gone beyond the Fauntleroy years. By the mid-1900s, Fauntleroy suits had rather gone out of style. Thus mothers were losing outfits for hich floppy bows could b used. Thus some mothers may hve added thm to saolor suits.
The floppy bow rather changed usage. It made the sailor suit into a more formal outfit. Thesailor suit was a very flexible garment. It could be worn for dressing o as well as school or play. Adding afloppy bow rather defeated one of the purpses of the sailor suit, a comfortable plain suit a boy could wear. The sailor suit stood it stark contrast to the fancy Little Lord Fauntleroy suits of the late-19th century. In addition the open collar made the sailor suit much more comfortable to wear. Adding a floppy bow created the same restrictive closed collar outfits as the Fauntleroy suit.
We do not note any special floppy bows used with sailor suits. Mothers seemed to have used the same bows used with Fauntleroy blouses. At least we have not yet found examples in the photographic record.
We don't see a lot of boys wearing sailor suits with floppy bows, but as the floppy bow was so populr, it certainly was not unheard of and this was reflected in the photographic record. A part of the appeal of the sailor suit was its simplicity. It was part of the reason boys' liked it. But many mothers in the late-19th century liked fancy clothes and ornamentation.
The peak of the popularity of the sailor suit closely coincidd with the Fauntleroy craze. This some mothers could not help but add some ornamentation to the standard sailor suit. Given the popular items available, the possibilities were virtually endless. And mothers gave a great dealmof thoughtbon hoiw to improive on the vasic sailor suit. Some mothers added stiff collaes to the comfortabl sailor collar. Another addition was the floppy bow which was so common with Fauntleroy outfits. Here mothers had a range of options. They could replace the sailor scarve with a floppy bow or they could keep the scarve and add a bow. This affected placement. Relpacemrnt meant that two positions were available, both the neckposition or the V collar apex just above the waitline. And in the age of sartorial over kill we even note some mothers adding two floppy bows, bith at thevneck and the V apex. Adding in contrast meant that the neck position had to be used necause the scarve was at the apex of the V collar. Of course size was an opotion. Bows varied greatly in size. And e note various sizes being used with sailor suits. Color was another factor. Mothr had to decided on matching or contrasting color or even a pattern. And in some cases mothers who couldn't help but add to the sailor suit added both a stiff collar and a floppy bow.
Mothers varied as to where they positioined the floppy bows when they used them. There were two basic options. One option was to place the floppy bow at the collar. This was wear floppy bows as well as other neckwear was normally placed. There was a problem here, however, as regards the sailor suit. A good sized floppy bow placed at the collar covered up the most destinguosing feature of the sailor suir, the sailor V-front collar and dickie. This is perhaps why we also see mothers positioining the floppy bows at the bottom apex of the sailor V-collar. This is where the sailor scarve was tied in a small bow. The floppy bow looks out of place here, but some mothers liked the look. We note German mothers positioning bow in both plves, a little bow overkill. we have not seen this in America.
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