Figure 1.--This tintype shows one mother's approsach to age grading we believe in the 1890s. We see three brothers who look to be about 6-13 years old. All three wear similar knee pants suits, but mother has used floppy bows to destinguish them. Note the younger boy's huge bow.

Mothers in the late-19th and early-20th century commonly used age grding in selecting clothing for children. This was a practice that was prevlent begoe abd after, but particularly string surung this peiod, and especially notable during the Fauntleroy Craze era. It involved garments such as hair stylng, headwear, shirts/blouses, neckwear, collars, jacketss, pants, hosiery, and shoes. These were decisions largely made by mother and varied drom family to family. And there were variations concerning hair styling and the various garments involved. Floppy bows for boys in the late-19th and early-20th century were along with huge frilly collars the most decorative features of Little Lord Fauntleroy stylinge. The bow could be huge. And size was part of the Fauntleroy Craze. The larger bows were used for the youngest boys. The bows were were seen a distinctly juvenile style. For this reason they were used by mothers for what was called 'age grading'. Large bows were not, however, just worn by very little boys--although the largest bows were. While they were commonly worn by younger boys, they were not exclusively for very young boys. At the peak of the Funntleroy Craze we see boys evn younger teens wearing them.

Created: 6:36 AM 2/18/2022
Last updated: 6:36 AM 2/18/2022