Figure 1.-- This boy was photographed by A.M. Rothschild & Co. in Chicago, Illinois. He wears a wide-brimmed sailor hat and knee pants sailor suit with ringlet curls. He is not identified, but looks like he was about 8-9 years old.

We notice American boys wearing ringlets with a wide variety of outfits. There were certain outfits that were especially common. This seems to be basiclly the garments that were most common for boys, at least boys from the affluent families that were most likely to do their sonms hair in ringlet curls. A major factor here was it is only families in comfortable circustances that could afford the time and money for such a frivolus activity as doing doing such a fancy hairdo for a boy. We are sure that more was nvolvedthan economics. We supect that mst working-class families would have no desire to bdo this even if they had the mooney. herewe arethinking primarily about the fathers. We are no so sure about the mothers. Fashion affects mothers of all sicial classes. We believe that working-class fathers were less fixated on fashion. What we see is primarily Fauntleroy suits, kilt suits, Fauntleroy blouses, and sailor suits. We are not entirelky sure abiout the relative prevlence of each. We see boys wearing many other grments, but the above four were by far the most common. Notice that dresses are not one of the most common. Some boys wore ringlet curls with dresses. This was not the very young children as they often did not have enough hair to be curled into ringlets. There is also a problem with udentifying boys before breeching. Also a small number of available portraits are identified, probably something like 5 percent. Thus we are not altogether sure who the children are in dresses. Other skirted garments were only for boys, kilt suits and tunics. Once breeched, gender is clear because in the 19th century, girls did not wear trousers. Thus no matter how girlish a child in ringlets may look, if the child is wearing trousers, he is a boy. And we see these boys in many different outfits, including Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits, and regular suits. The stereotypical image is that Fauntleroy suits were associated with ringert curls. Actually obly a fraction of boys with Fauntleroy suits wore ringlet curls. Probably more boys wore ringlets with sailor suits because the sailor suit was such a popular style. Now we are not sure about the early=19th century, but once photographic was well established we do not see all that many boys weariung ringlets with dresses. Dresses were more common in the early-19th century, but ringlets were not, at least for boys above the todler stage. Kilt suits seem more common in the second half of the 20th century. The stereotypical image is that Fauntleroy suits were associated with ringlet curls. Actually only a fraction of boys with Fauntleroy suits wore ringlet curls. Probably more boys wore ringlets with sailor suits just because the sailor suit was such a popular style and so many boys wore sailor suits. We re, however, still assessing this. We believe that the photogrphic record was a fairly good reflection of trends for families in comfortable circumstances, less so for working-class familes, especially the less affluent sector.

Skirted Garments

Some boys wore ringlet curls with dresses. This was not the very young children as they often did not have enough hair to be curled into ringlets. It did include pre-school boys. There is also a problem with identifying boys before breeching. Also a small number of available portraits are identified, probably something like 5 percent. Thus we are not altogether sure who the children are in dresses. Other skirted garments were only for boys, kilt suits. The kilt suit was a very popular boys' outfit. And some boys wore them with ringlets. We also notice boys wearing Highland outfits, but they seem less popular than kilt suits. And we do not see many boys wearing ringlets with the Highland outfits. This is because kilt suits were more popular with younger boys. We also see some boys wearing tunics with curls. This seems especially the case with the fancy tunics worn in the 1900s. We see few American boys wearing smocks and thus few boys wore wore ringlets with smocks.

Breeched Boys

Once breeched, gender is clear because in the 19th century, girls did not wear trousers. Thus no matter how girlish a child in ringlets may look, if the child is wearing trousers, he is a boy. And we see these boys in many different outfits, including Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits, and regular suits. The stereotypical image is that Fauntleroy suits were associated with ringlet curls. And we see numerous boys in the photograohic record wearing Fauntleroy suits with ringlets. Here there were different types of Fauntleroy suits as well as boys wearing Fauntleroy blouses without jackets. Even so, it is important to note that only a minority of boys, a small minority, wearing Faunleroy suits wire ringlets. Most boys despite the stereotype had short hair cuts. Probably more boys wore ringlets with sailor suits, simply because the sailor suit was such a popular style and so many boys wore sailor suits. We also notice boys wearin sack suits with ringlets, usually with a Fauntkeroy blouse or trim.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 1:59 PM 12/26/2008
Last edited: 1:21 AM 8/9/2022