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The Norfolk style was primarily worn by school-age boys. This appers to have been the convention from the time the Norfolk style appeared after the mid-19th entury. Our inuiial assessment is that Norfolk suits were most common for boys about 8-15 years of age. This is just an initial assesment but most of the images we have archived so far falls into that range. We notice New York boy, Austen Fox wearing Norfolk suits in the 1880s and early-90s. He looks to be about 8 years old in the first oortrait we hasve found. We hope to develop our age assessment more precisely as HBC expands.
Norfolk suits were roughly contemoporaneous with the better known Fauntleroy suit, but worn by mostly older boys. Many boys, however, wore Norfolk suits with Fauntlroy items. We do see see some younger boys wearing Norfolk suits, at least in the early-20th century. This often meant adding a large collar and floppy bow. A good example is Floyd Van Horne about 1915. He looks to be about 5-6 years old. The Norfolk suit was a style for school age boys, albeit usually a year ir two asfter they begsn school. Younger boys wore skirted garments and fancy suits like Fauntleroy suits. The Norfolk style was also worn by teenagers, especially younger teens. This varied over time.
The Norfolk style was primarily worn by school-age boys which means boys beginning about 6 years old. But we beginn to commnly notice Norfolk suits with boys anout 8 years old, a fee years aftyer beginning school. This appers to have been the convention from the time the Norfolk style appeared after the mid-19th entury. Our iniitial assessment is that Norfolk suits were most common for boys about 8-15 years of age. This is just an initial assesment but most of the images we have archived so far falls into that range. We notice New York boy, Austen Fox wearing Norfolk suits in the 1880s and early-90s. He looks to be about 8 years old in the first portrait we have found. We hope to develop our age assessment more precisely as HBC expands.
Boys' 11 years old commonly wore Norflk suits. The children here are Ethelwyn and Lillian Gelder (figure 1). They were 9-11 years old. We see a boy here looks to be about 11 years old. We think Ethelwyn is the older child, but we are not sure. Ethelwyn wears a bold checked Norfolk knee pants suit with an Eton collar and small bow. Lillian wears a long-sleeved white dress with a huge back bow. Both children wear dark lond-stockings and high-top shoes. Note the jewelry, Ethelwyn has a ring and Lilian has earrings. We do not know much about the children, but Ethelwyn appears to be associated with the Howe family. He married Isabelle (Belle) A. Bradbury (1879-19??) also from Colorado. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken in the late-1880s. Note his floppy bow, albeit a small one. Eton and Peter Pan collasrs were common, lace and ruffle collars woen with Fasuntleroy suits less so, depending on the boy's age. We note New York boy (Austen Fix) boy wearing a Norfolk xuit, we think about 1888 (figure 1).
We see some older teenagers wearing Norfolk suits in the 1910s. The same was true of the 1920s, but somewgat younger teens. A good example is 14-year old Raymond Uferte in 1921. A factor here is that Norfolk suits were commonly done as knee pants or knicker suits which affected the age range of the boys wearing them.
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