Figure 1.--This unidebtified Indiana boy looks to be about 5 years old, given the way he is posed, perhaps 6 years old. He wears not only a fancy Fauntleroy blouse with a large frilled collar, but a huge floppy bow. Both are white. It is thus difficult to destinguish between the two. The Fauntleroy outfit and the mount style suggests the portrait was taken about 1900. It is a good example as to how the fauntleroy style was not only popular in fashioinable big cities, but throughout small town America as well. The studio was E. Bonebraker in Fowler, Indiana. Click on the image to see a closeup.

The larger floppy bows were of course almost exclusively worn with Fauntleroy blouses and suits. And we only see American boys weaing these really uge floppy bows. We do see boys in other countries wearing floppy bows, but not the huge ones that some American boys wore. They are probably the best rememberd floppy bows. These large bows are perhaps the most remarkable boy's garments in American fashion history. And there was a direct relation with collars. Large floppy bows went with large collars and visa versa. The large bows were just part of the story. Some floppy bows were so small that they look more like bow ties. This all changed both dramrically and suddenly when Mrs. Burnett published Little Lord Fauntleroy. Mothers using their sons as fashion platforms began a satorial arms race without precedent in boys' fashion history. And floppy bows and huge lace and rulled collars were a key element in that effort. We do not see really large floppy bows before the mid-80s when Mrs. Burnett's books were published.. Some floppy bows were so large that they they also seem to engulf the boy ancovdrup the classic cut-away jacket wirnb withb theem. This was especially the case with the smaller boys wearing them. But we see some older boys wearing giant bows and collars as well. It was the younger boys that wore these really large bows, mostly boys uo to about 6-7 years of age, but we have seen a few slightly older boys as well. Only a small fraction of the floopy bows were these huge iones, but the American photographic record was so large hat we have found quite a few examples. The life span of these large bow is basically the same as the Fauntleoy craze (1885-1905), perhaps a little-moreb narrow as the really large bows were rar after the turn-of-the century. The boy on the previous page, we think in the 1890s wears a good example of a large floppy bow. Here we see another example, we think about 1900.

Garments

The large bows are most associated with Fauntleroy outfits. The really large floppy bows were of course almost exclusively worn with Fauntleroy blouses and suits. We see floppy bows with other outfits, but not the really huge floopy bows. These were worn with Fauntleroy suits and blouses. Faultlroy blouses came with different suized collars and often matching decorative cuffs. For wear with the klarge floppy bows, nnithers usy=ually chose the blouses with really large fancy collars. The classic Little Lord Fauntleroy suit had a small cut away jacket. When worn with these large floppy bows, some times you can barely see these jackets.

Country Trends

We only see American boys weaing these really huge floppy bows. We do see boys in other countries wearing floppy bows, but not the huge ones that some American boys wore. They are probably the best rememberd floppy bows. These large bows are perhaps the most remarkable boy's garments in American fashion history.

Collars

There was a direct relation with collars. Large floppy bows went with large collars and visa versa. For the most part this meant Fauntleroy collars. Some of these collars extended to the shoulders. Even so they were almost covered by the large floppy bows as you can see here (figure 1). There may have been other collars, but this is impossible to tell because all other collars would have been completely covered by the large bows.

Prevalence

These large floppy bows bows were just part of the story. Some floppy bows were so small that they look more like bow ties. The most common type was the medium-sized bows. Of course to our modern eyes, the medium sized floppy bows seem large, but theey were niothing comared to the huge bows. It was the medium-sized bows that wre most common. We only see numbers of huge floppy bows because the Americasn photograohic record by the late-19th century was so large. Only a small fraction of the floopy bows were these huge iones, but the American photographic record was so large hat we have found quite a few examples.

Sartorial Arms Race

Neckwear suddenly and dramrically chasnged when Mrs. Burnett published Little Lord Fauntleroy. There were changes in plasce earlier, but not sych dramatic changes. Mothers using their sons as fashion platforms began a satorial arms race without precedent in boys' fashion history. Middle-class mothers for the most part did not work. And floppy bows and huge lace and rulled collars were a key element in that effort. Besides Mrs. Burnett's book, something else was happening in America. Capitalism was changing a very rural country with a population of modest beginnings ino an industrial giant. Thus a large part of the population was experiencing a huge transformation in their life style and living standards. Pople with humble backgrounds were thrust into the prosperous middle class. And many of these increasingly successful people wanted to show off the change in their circumstances. One way to do this was to dress well. And mothers wanted to also dress their children well. The American boy was thus caught in ghe crosshirs of social chsnge. This was espcially the case because children at the time did not have lot to say about what they wore. This was up to their parents. And mothers not only decided what their daughters wore, but for the most part what thetheir sins ore, esoecially pretten sons.

Chronology

We do not see really large floppy bows before the mid-80s beginning with the publication of Mrs. Burnett's book (1885). The chronological span of these large bow is basically the same as the Fauntleoy craze (1885-1905), perhaps a little-more narrow as the really large bows became rare after the turn-of-the 20th century. The boy on the previous page, we think in the 1890s wears a good example of a large floppy bow. Here we see another example, we think about 1900.

Age

Some floppy bows were so large that they they also seem to engulf the boy and coverup the classic cut-away jacket worn with them. This was especially the case as it was with the smaller, younger boys mostly wearing them. SWe see a few somewhat older boys wearing giant bows and collars as well. It was the younger boys that wore these really large bows, mostly pre-school boys, but also a few uo to about 6-7 years of age. Essentially boys below the age of resistance. We have seen a few slightly older boys as well, but not very many.

Created: 6:28 PM 9/17/2015
Last updated: 4:12 PM 1/13/2023