Figure 1.-- Here we see a boy with a book sitting in n elaborate high-back chair. The postcard-back portrait is undated, but looks like the 1910s. The AZO stamp box (AZO two triangles up and two down) dates it to 1918-30. e suspect that it was taken in the late-1910s or early-20s. The studio was C.E. Kerfoot in Washington, D.c. He wears a standard Norfolk suit with knickers. The light-colored stockings are a little unusual. He looks to be 14-years old, perhaps even 15 years.

Norfolk suits continued to be popular in America during the 1920s. We still see many American boys wearing Norfolk suits in the 1920s. The unidentified Washington, D.C. boy here is a good example (figure 1). And the Norfolk suits were still commonly knicker suits. Some boys still wore suiits to school, although this was less common than in the 1900s ahd 10s. This was part of an overall trend for more casual clothe that was a notable trend after World war I. The popularity of Norfolk styling was, however declining. Many of the examples we have found come from the early 20s. Norfolk styling ws less popular by the end of the decade. They were commonly worn by primary school boys and younger ten agers. We no longer see older tennagers wearing as were seen in the early-20th century. A good example is Raymond Uferte in 1921. Another example of Norfolk suits is the suits worm by two brothers, probably in the 1920s. Right-Posture was a brand of boys clothing for the Snellenburg Clothing Co. They published advertisements showing Norfolk suits in 1920. We note an unidentified brother and sister in 1924. The boy wears a flat cap with a Norfolk knickers suit.

Created: 2:50 AM 8/14/2012
Last updated: 2:50 AM 8/14/2012