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We note an interesting advertisement for various school outfits during the mid-1880s. The firm was Charles Baker & Co., a retailer that had several outlets in London--in Fleet Street (in the City), in Oxford Street (in the West End), and in Tottenham Court Road. There is a nice depiction of the various outfits, but unfortunately there is no description of the various suits except for the price.
The firm was Charles Baker & Co., a retailer that had several outlets in London--in Fleet Street (in the City), in Oxford Street (in the West End), and in Tottenham Court Road. The main headquarters of the firm was located at 271-272 High Holborn in the West End. This company seems to have been a large one, appealing to a large cross-section of the British public. We note quite a number of the store's advertisements duting the 1880s, suggesting that it was a very important store. We are not sure when the store was fouded or when it was closed.
Charles Baker & Co. seems to have been in competition with the Civil Service Stores--an official outlet for boy's clothing with at least a nominal connection to the Civil Service. We have no information on these stores at this time. Civil Service stores in Victorian times were a bit like American Army and Navy stores today.
I am not sure in which publication the ad here appeared. It may have veen a newspaper. It clearly is a London publication.
Seven styles of suits are illustrated: (1) Eton Jackets and Vests; (2) Boys'
Flannel Outfits; (3) Norfolk Suits; (4) Rugby Suits; (5) Royal Navy Serge
Suits (with a white dickey); (6) Youths' Tweed Suits; and (7) Youths' Double
Breasted Jackets. The prices in shillings and pence are given underneath each
model. The prices seem to be cut-rate, "25 per cent under usual London prices"
according to the text of the advertisement. While there is no descriptive text, there are some interesting details suggested by the illustrations. One point, I believe that these outfits would have mostly been worn by boys attending private schools or perhaps grammar schools.
Four of the styles show boys
wearing hats. The Eton boy wears a traditional top silk hat (part of the Eton
uniform) and the boy in a flannel suit wears a peaked cap in sporting style. Note that only the flannel outfit is pictured with a peaked cap. Curiously the boys in the Norfolk and Rugby suit are no pictured with caps. This is a bit strange as almost ceratinly caps would have been required at their schools. Could it be that the caos woukld gave been purchased through the schools? The two youths wear high-crowned Derby hats and are meant to look very "citified". While these outfits are labeled scool outfits, we are unsure that bowler hats were widely worn at school. It may be that the bowles and youth suits have been included here just to keep boys/youth suits together rather than a grouping of all school outfits.
Eton is of course tghe name of a specific school, but these Eton suits were also worn at other schools sucb as Harrow. We are unsure, however, just how many schools adopted Eton suits.
This was a games (sports) outfit. It would have been wirn for cricket. I'm not sure about other sports. Notice that this outfit is shiwn with knee-length pants. I'm not sure how common this was. Long trousers seem to have been more common, but I'm not sure aboutthe late-19th century. Note also that a striped jacket is mentioned. This of course means a blazer. It is interesting that they did not use the term blazer.
We think that this was a style that was widely worn at amny schools. We suspect that in the 19th century that there was less regimentation about the uniform. Schools may have specified a suit or even a style like a Norfolk suit, but there may hve been some variation in the cut or even color. Here we are not yet sure.
Here we are uncertain, but presumably this was the style of suit worn at Rugby school. Note that it is essentially the same as the Norfolk suit, but without the bealts and belts. We were unsure just what a rugby suit was as we have sen it used after the Norfolk suit disappeared. It is esentially a school suit with a plain jacket.
I'm unsure what kind of school a sailor suit would have been worn to. We do note some of the new boys at prep schools wearing sailor suits. We know of no school that had a sailor suit as a uniform, except for a few naval-oriented schools. Theywould not have been worn at public schools. Notice the suit hereccame fully equipped with a lanyard.
The Eton boy and the two "youths" wear long trousers whereas
the other boys wear knee pants and long black stockings. Unfortunately there are no age/size details so we are left without any clear details as to the convengtions invoplved.
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