Figure 1.--Here we see a brother sister pair from lbany, New York. The portrait is not sated, but looks like the 1890s to us. The children are not identified, but look to be about 9-13 years old. It is a loyyle difficult to tell, but the boy is wearing a collar buttoning jacket with vertical pleat elements. His older sister is wearing a dress with a large collar element. The studio is Wendover & Son in Albany.

One of the two important Norfolk design elements were what box pleats, often paired. There were different approached to the vertical elements or pleats. They also varied in prominance. Some are barely noticable while others stand out. The well-made Norfolk suit had these vertical pleats on the front and continued on the back. We are not sure all boys' suits had the vertical pleats continued on the back. This is impossible to tell from the photographic record. Some jackets only had the vertical elements. We believe that these were reffered to as Norfolk jackets even without the belts. Some had belts as well, but in the 19th century the vertical elements without the belts was the most common style were the most commom. The second Norfolk element was the horizontal waist self-belt. This was a partial self built done in the same material as the rest of the suit. We do not see the belts on many of the 19th century suits, but we see it very commonly on the 20th century Norfolk suits. We are not sure why all of the sudden, manufacturwrs decoded to add the belt. Like the vertical elements, the belts were done in various styles and approaches adding to the stylistic variety of the suit.

Vertical Pleats

One of the two important Norfolk design elements were what box pleats, often paired. There were different approached to the vertical elements or pleats. They also varied in prominance. Some are barely noticable while others stand out. The well-made Norfolk suit had these vertical pleats on the front and continued on the back. We are not sure all boys' suits had the vertical pleats continued on the back. This is impossible to tell from the photographic record. Some jackets only had the vertical elements. We believe that these were reffered to as Norfolk jackets even without the belts. Some had belts as well, but in the 19th century the vertical elements without the belts was the most common style were the most commom. In many suits the vertical elements were only hinted at, in others they were very pronounced. We note that by the 1880s in the United States that many jackets had vertical pleats or detailing which we believe in the influence of the Norfolk style which was becoming a major style for boys. The pleats were not only a design element, but added a degree of flexibility to the jacket. This was useful for a jacket designed for active outdoor pursuits. We are not sure why the vertical pleating was more common than the self-belting in the 19th century. We thinks ythe plears appeared fiest and the hirizintal waist belt sudequently. We notice Norfolk suits with just the verticl pleats into the 1890s.

Horizonatal Waist Self-belt

The second Norfolk element was the horizontal waist self-belt. This was a partial self built done in the same material as the rest of the suit. We do not see the belts on many of the 19th century suits, but we see it very commonly on the 20th century Norfolk suits. We are not sure why all of the sudden, manufacturwrs decoded to add the belt. Like the vertical elements, the belts were done in various styles and approaches adding to the stylistic variety of the suit. As far as we know, the belt had no real purpose, but to keep the jacket closed. Perhaps that was needed in hunting, but for boys' suits was primarily ornamental. Some were not even made to close. While the first Norfolk suits were made with vertuical pleats without belts. The last Norfolk suits were nmade with the belts wuithout tyhe vertical pleats. After tyhe turn of the century, esopecislly by the 2910s we begin to see the verticl pleat being demphasuzed, but the belts were standard.

Vertical Pleats and Horizonal Belt

Many Norfolk suits had both the verical pleasts and the horizontal belts. These were the two primary elements of Norfok suits. We have not yet worked out the chronology of these combined suits.

Created: 3:25 PM 3/4/2018
Last updated: 6:23 PM 9/26/2022