Figure 1.--Here we see a slightly colorized cabinet card taken in 1889. The studio was Garford, but the city is not indivated. The unidentified boy wears a classic Norfolk jacket, knee pants, and long black stockings. He looks to be about 10 years old.

We know from the photographic record that the Norfolk suit was a major boy's style for school age boys in the 1880s, alhough not as commion as regular collar buttoning jackets, based on the developing tradition of school photography. The Fauntleroy suit was more famous during the decade, but the Norfolk suit worn by older boys was very common. The photographic record shows large numbers of American boys wearing Norfolk-styled suit jackets. We see many boys wearing the classic Norfolk jacket with vertical vents and hortizontal belts. We see many boys wearing jackets with Norfolk elements by the 1880s. Most seem to have been collar-buttoning jackets with knee pants suits. A good example is a New York teenager in the 1880s. Like many 19th century styles, the Norfolk suit continued into the 20th century. The Stern catalog offered a range of suits with Norfolk styling in 1885. We see mostly collar-buttoning jackets. Here we see a colorized cabinet card taken in 1889 (figure 1). The studio was Garford, but the city is not indivated. The Boy wears a classic Norfolk jacket, Eton-like collar, knee pants, and long black stockings. He looks to be about 10 years old. We notice a New York boy, Austen Fox, wearing Norfolk suits in the 1880s and early-90s.

Popularity

We know from the photographic record that the Norfolk suit was a major boy's style for school age boys in the 1880s, alhough not as common as regular collar buttoning jackets, based on the developing tradition of school photography. The Fauntleroy suit was more famous during the decade, but the Norfolk suit worn by older boys was very common. The photographic record shows large numbers of American boys wearing Norfolk-styled suit jackets, but no so commonly at school. School photograohy was becoming an establoshed traduition by the 1880s so we are beginning to see many more school portraits. It prevented for example the wraring of the often over the top Fauntleroy blouses that mothers loved. .

Jacket Styling

We see many boys wearing the classic Norfolk jacket with vertical vents and hortizontal belts. We see many boys wearing jackets with Norfolk elements by the 1880s. They were almost all collar buttioning jackets. Most seem to have been collar-buttoning jackets. We note a variety of minor differences in the various examples we have found. And of course given the impact of the Fauntleroy Craze, we see all kinds of accompnying embelishments with large collars and sometimes huge floppy bows. We see a little of that with the boy here (figure 1). Norfolk suits were less affected, in part because of the collar-buttoning jacket. Notice that the classic Fauntleroy jacket was the open cut-away jacket which exposed Fauntleriy blouses to their full satorial glory. The Norfolk jacket was just the opposite. With a closed jacket there was less potential for Fauntleoy emblesishment.

Trousers

We see American boys mostly wearing both knee pants suits with these Norfolk jackets. Knickrs wee also worn with these jackets in Britain, but in Ameriica it was almost alwats knee pants. This was akmost always with long stockingsin both America and Britain.

Examples

We have found several examples in the photographic record during the 18880s. A good example is a New York teenager in the 1880s. Like many 19th century styles, the Norfolk suit continued into the 20th century. The Stern catalog offered a range of suits with Norfolk styling in 1885. We see mostly collar-buttoning jackets. Here we see a colorized cabinet card taken in 1889 (figure 1). The studio was Garford, but the city is not indivated. The Boy wears a classic Norfolk jacket, Eton-like collar, knee pants, and long black stockings. He looks to be about 10 years old. We notice a New York boy, Austen Fox, wearing Norfolk suits in the 1880s and early-90s.

Created: 7:20 AM 3/22/2010
Last updated: 5:13 PM 5/22/2023