Figure 1.--Here we see grandmother or perhaps a nanny, on an outing to a local park with the grandkids. The snapshot is undated, but the cars in the background suggest the late-1930s. The boys wear matching coats and peaked dress caps.

We first note peaked dress caps in America during the late-19th century. We do not yet have a complere chronology, but we notice them being worn by the 1890s. We note peaked caps earlier in England. The peaked dress cap was an English cap which became popular for school wear in the late-19th century. They became associated with school wear and school uniforms. This association never developed in America. The peaked cap were worn at some private schools in America, but it never became cseen as a school cap as it was in Britain. This was one of several types of caps that boys worn at the time. All had peaks, biyt the crowns varied. There were a range of different styles including these peaked caps, flat caps, and various other cap stypes. We also notice flat caps and Oliver Twist caps. These caps were worn by a wide range of boys with little or no class connotations. Flat caps in the early-20th century were just beginning to become standard. Oliver Twist caps disappeared in the 1910s. Peaked caps persisted, but with a shift in image. The peaked cap became a kind of dress cap for pre-teen boys from affluent families. By the 1920s we see younger boys wearing peaked caps with suits with suits, usually in black or grey. They often matched a boy's suit. Some were brought with the suit. Others were brought separately. We see these caps being worn in several different countries as a kind of dress cap. It became a cap worn by American boys from affluent families, normally with a suit and done to match the suit. This was the most common cap style worn with short pants suits, especially the Eton suits worn by younger American boys. We see quite a number of photographs of American boys wearing Eton suits with peaked hats during the 1930s-60s. We see both family snapshots and advertisements, such as an insurance ad in the 1960s. We believe that it was popular in America in part because of its English association.

Origins

We note peaked caps earlier in England. The peaked dress cap was an English cap which became popular for school wear in the late-19th century. They became associated with school wear and school uniforms. This began in the public (private) schools, but by the turn-of-the 20th century was being worn by boys of all classes to school. Boys attending private school wore it as part of a unifirm. Boys attending state schools also wore them, but not as part of a uniform. This association never developed in America. The peaked cap were worn at some private schools in America, but it never became cseen as a school cap as it was in Britain.

Chronology

We first note peaked dress caps in America during the late-19th century. We do not yet have a complere chronology of the peaked cap in America. We notice them being worn by the 1890s. We see afew boys wearing them with fancy outfits. They were not enormously popular in the 19th century, but we do notice them. It is difficult to assess the usage of these caps because most of the 19th century imagery is studio photograpy. Only with the 20th century do we get large numbers of family snap shots and other photography showing children in real life circumstances. At the turn-of-the 20th century, the Kodak Brownie makes the family snapshot a staple. We see that the peaked cap was one of several types of caps that boys worn at the time. All had peaks, but the crowns varied. There were a range of different styles including these peaked caps, flat caps, and various other cap stypes. We also notice flat caps and Oliver Twist caps. These caps were worn by a wide range of boys with little or no class connotations. Flat caps in the early-20th century were just beginning to become standard. Oliver Twist caps disappeared in the 1910s. Peaked caps persisted, but with a shift in image. The peaked cap became a kind of dress cap for pre-teen boys from affluent families. By the 1920s we see younger boys wearing peaked caps with suits with suits, usually in black or grey. The peaked cap maintained this image into the 1960s. By the 1970s it became primarily a cap worn by todlers or slightly older pre-school boys with Eton suits for formal evenys like weddings.

Construction

These peaked caps had rounded crowns. The heighth of the criown varied slightly and were capped with a button top. The peaks or bills were always done in cloth avaried more than the crowm. We notice various sizes and projections. They were at first similar to baseball caps, but the bills of baseball caps were extended during the 20th century. We also notice ear flaps. We do not think that they all had ear flaps, but clearly some did. We are not sure about chin straps. Unlike the ear flps, we do not see boys wearing chin straps,

Usage

Usage of these peaked caps has varied over time. Useage is hard to assess in the 19th century. We see some younger boys weating them wiyh fabcy suits. They were not a common cap ytpe, vyr e do see them. At the tun if the 20th century they seem a kind of casual cap stylw, one of severa; stuyles worn. By the 1910s we see the dress peaked caps assunming the modern image and conventions. They became a style commonly worn by younger boys with suits. Sometimes they matched the suits. We see both pre=school and school age boys wearing them when dressing up for pecial occasions like church, sunday school, parties, weddings, and other special occasioins whre suits were worn. This gradually changed as more casual styles became inbcreasingly common for events that were previously dress up occassions. They were also adopted by some private schools as part of the school uniform They were not always worn with suits, but the great mjority of images in the photographic record do show them bring worn with suits. Theywere particularly common with Eton suits, but we see some boys wearing them with lapel suits as well. These trends contiunued through the 1960s. By the 1990s they had become caps exlisibely worn by pre-school boys with Eton suits.

Country Trends

We see these caps being worn in several different countries as a kind of dress cap. It became a cap worn by American boys from affluent families, normally with a suit and done to match the suit.

Suit Types

We note these caped caps wwre worn with many different tyopes of suits in the 19th century. We notice suits with matching peaked caps, made in the same color and material, during the 20th centuty. This was not the case in the 19th centuryWe see both snap shots and fashion magazines showing boys wearing suits with these marching caps. Some were brought with the suit. Others were brought separately. We see boys wearing these matching suits with both Eton and single breasted styling. This was the most common cap style worn with short pants suits, especially the Eton suits worn by younger American boys. We see quite a number of photographs of American boys wearing Eton suits with peaked hats during the 1930s-60s. We see both family snapshots and advertisements, such as an insurance ad in the 1960s. We believe that it was popular in America in part because of its English association. Older boys wore them with regular suits, commonly single-breasted jackets. The suits had both short and long pants. There were also knicker suits, but they seem less common. We see mostly flat caps worn with the knicker suits.

Created: 10:57 PM 3/17/2008
Last updated: 2:28 AM 2/16/2014