Figure 1.--This boy in the late 1880s or early 1890s wears an adult looking suit jacket, complete with watch fob. He looks to be about 10 years old and his mother has added a stylish bow to his suit. For a complete view, click on the image.
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Figure 1.--This boy in the late 1880s or early 1890s wears an adult looking suit jacket, complete with watch fob. He looks to be about 10 years old and his mother has added a stylish bow to his suit. For a complete view, click on the image. |
Modern-looking suits for boys began appearing in the 1870s, about the same time the size of boys' collar bows began to grow. Boys during the late 19th Century generally received adult-styled suits at any where from 8 to 14 years of age. The suits were in a variety of styles, both single and double breasted. Bows
were gebnerally not work with these adult-styled suits. The younger boys wearing these suits might wear them with bows rather than the more
adult-styled neckwear. Apparently some miothers buying these suits
for their sons had some cuams about buying such a mature looking
suit for their boys. As a result, for the first few years that the
younger boys wore these suits, their mothers added the big floppy
bows normally wore with more juvenile outfits like Fauntleroy suits.
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