Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified English family, we believe in the 1900s decade. It is a post-card back photograph which helps to date it. They look to be about 4-13 years old. The two older boys wear identical knee pants Norfol suits with detachable collars. Notice the collars are rounded. The classic Eton collar has pointed tips. These may have also been called Eton collars. Their little brother waers a ruffled collar. It seems to be a tie on or pin on collar rather than a detachable collar.

The modern collar evolved from the ruffle created by the drawstring at the neck of the medieval chemise--a standard garment and not surprisingly, a shirt-like garment. It evolved into the Elizabethan ruff and and successors like the whisk collar and falling band. We do not notce any specically juvenile styles. Perhas the earliest was the Eton collar. We have much more information (19th century). Various collars were worn with the 19th century skeleton suit. With the advent of photography it becomes popssible to follow fashion trends including collars in much more detail than ever before. Unlike America, we do not begin to see large numbers of English photographic images until the advent of th CDV (1860s). We do not see boys commonly wearing dedicated collar styles until the mid-19th entry. They were destinguisable from adult collars by both size and fancy construction. Boys' Collars at mid-century tended to be very small (1840s-60s). A good example is an unidentified Lincoln boy in the 1860s who looks to be having his beginning school portrait taken. He has a small rounded collar. Detachable collars appeared at mid-19th century, a phenomernon related to the drugery of laundry. Assessing shirts and blouses is a little difficult because so many boys are wearing suit jackets--at least in studio portarits. as a result, all we can see is the collar even though they were very small. The Royal Family introduced the sailor suit, dressing the princes in dsailor suits (1840s). It quickly became a boy's style. The girls not wanting to be left out of an important fashion stratement soon copied it for their own. Then we begin to see somewhat larger collars (mid-1870s) With the Fauntleroy Craze we see an explosion of collar sizes. Mothers launced a veritable fashion arms race to see who cold have the larger collars. Through all of this the Eton collar continued to be an important. Fauntleroy collars were for the most part not detachable collars with the exception of lace collars. They Fauntlroy ruffled collars were usually part of the fancy blouses. The lace collars tended to be pinned ot tied on to jackers. It is a little difficult to determine this from photographs. We do not see boys commonly wearing dedicated collar styles until the late-19th entry. They were destinguisable from adult collars by both size and fancy construction. Gradually after World War I, boys' and men's styles began to merge, although this took some time. Youngr boys might wear blouses with rounded Peter Pan collars. The detachable collar began to decline as modern detergents and washing machines apperd. This development was slower than in America. Detachable collars began to disappar, especuially after World War I, but we contunue to see some Eton collars into the 1930s. The basic style was pointed collars and boys' collars tended to follow adult trends. American boys began wraring T-shirts without collars (1930s). This trend was slower to catch on in England, mostly after Workd War II (1950s).

Historical Trends

The modern collar evolved from the ruffle created by the drawstring at the neck of the medieval chemise--a standard garment and not surprisingly, a shirt-like garment. It evolved into the Elizabethan ruff and and successors like the whisk collar and falling band. We do not notce any specically juvenile styles.

The 19th Century

We have much more information (19th century). Perhaps the earliest dedicated boys' collar was the Eton collar. Various collars were worn with the 19th century skeleton suit. With the advent of photography it becomes popssible to follow fashion trends including collars in much more detail than ever before. Unlike America, we do not begin to see large numbers of English photographic images until the advent of th CDV (1860s). We do not see boys commonly wearing dedicated collar styles until the mid-19th entry. They were destinguisable from adult collars by both size and fancy construction. Boys' Collars at mid-century tended to be very small (1840s-60s). A good example is an unidentified Lincoln boy in the 1860s who looks to be having his beginning school portrait taken. He has a small rounded collar. Detachable collars appeared at mid-19th century, a phenomenon related to the drugery of laundry. Assessing shirts and blouses is a little difficult because so many boys are wearing suit jackets--at least in studio portraits. as a result, all we can see is the collar even though they were very small. The Royal Family introduced the sailor suit, including the collar for the princes (1840s). It quickly becamae an important boy's style. The girls not wanting to be left out of an important fashion stratement soon copied it for their own. Then we begin to see somewhat larger collars (mid-1870s). They were destinguisable from adult collars by both size and fancy construction. With the Fauntleroy Craze we see an explosion of collar sizes. Mothers launced a veritable fashion arms race to see who cold have the larger collars. Through all of this the Eton collar continued to be an important. Fauntleroy collars were for the most part not detachavle collars with the exception of lace collars. They Fauntlroy ruffled collars were usually part of the fancy blouses. The lace collars tended to be pinned ot tied on to jackers. It is a little difficult to determine this from photographs.

The 20th Century

Boys' collars were largely unchabged after the turn of the century (1900s). The image here is a good example (figure 1). The Fauntleroy craze began to decline and was less in evidence (1910s). Gradually after World War I, boys' and men's collar styles began to merge, although this took somr time. everal decades. Youngr boys might wear blouses with rounded Peter Pan collars. The detachable collars began to decline as modern detergents and washing machines appeared. This development was slower than in America. Detachable collars began to disappear, espoecuially after World War, but we contunue to see some Eton collars (1930s). The basic style was pointed collars and boys' collars tended to follow adult trends. American boys began wraring T-shirts without collars (1930s). This trend was slower to catch on in England, mostly after Workd War II (1950s).

Created: 10:16 PM 4/27/2017
Last updated: 12:25 AM 4/19/2019