Figure 1.--This American boy wears a rather small white bow in a photograph probably taken about 1900. He wears a rather plain blouse, but it could be his best one as he may not have come from a wealthy family.
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Figure 1.--This American boy wears a rather small white bow in a photograph probably taken about 1900. He wears a rather plain blouse, but it could be his best one as he may not have come from a wealthy family. |
Blouses were commonly worn with bows by mid-19th century. The bows initially worn were rather small bows. Beginning in the 1870s bows began increasing in size and could be huge by the 1880s. Sometinmes the bows were so large that it was difficult to see the collar of a boys's fancy Fauntleroy collar which themselves could be quite large. Some fancy Fauntleroy blouseswere worn without bows, but most wearing fancy bloses mostly wore them with bow. Less fancy blosesv less commonln required bow. Bow were still commonly worn in the 1910s, but declined in popularity as did fancvy Fauntleroy blouses in the 1910s. They were still worn by younger boys in the 1920s, but not commonly seen by the 1930s. worn with them.
Blouses and bows were not much worn by boys in the early 19th century. This did not much chane until mid-century. Boys had come to wear blouses commonly with bows by mid-19th century. The bows initially worn were rather small, inconspicous bows. Beginning in the 1870s bows began increasing in size and could be huge bu the 1880s. Sometinmes the bows were so large that it was difficult to see the collar of a boys's fancy Fauntleroy collar which themselves could be quite large. Bow were still commonly worn in the 1910s, but declined in popularity as did fancvy Fauntleroy blouses in the 1910s. They were still worn by younger boys in the 1920s, but not commonly seen by the 1930s.
While fancy Fauntleroy blouses were normally worn with bow, some Less fancy blouses were more likely to be worn without bows.
I am not sure what determined rather a bow was or was not worn with a bow. It appears to be mostly a matter of the mother's preferences. One factor might have been that some mothers did not want anuthing to detract from a boys's fancy lace and ruffled collars.
Age
Age does not seem to haave been a major factor. Bows were mostly worn by younger boys and whatever the age of the boys wearing them, they were commonly worn with bows. Some older boys continued wearing bows even when they graduated to shirt waists, at least for a year or two.
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