Figure 1.--Here we have a cabinet card portrait and here three boys. They look to be about 7-12 years old. They wear identical vested suits with Eton collars and knickers. Nitice the small, high set lapels. The only difference we can see is that the younger boy has a small bow rather than a necktie. The two older boys have award pins of some kind on their lapels. The photographer was Thirlwell & Co., an importnt compny in Teeside with studios in Darlington, Guisborough, Spennymoor, and Stookton-on-Tees (Durham and Yorkshire).

We note large numbers of school age English boys wearing Eton collars in the 1890s. Large stiffy starched Eton collars were srandard. This may have been the peak popularity of the Eton collar popularity. The unidentified London boy here who to be about 8 years old wears an Eton collar with a knickers suit, we think in the 1890s (fugure 1). We note boys wearing Eton collars both with and without neckwear, but the neckwear option seems the most common. We note boys about 6-15 years old wearing these collars during the 1890s, but we are also still assessing the age conventions. The Eton collar was so popular that we lso see some girls wearing them, but not nearly as commonly as the oys. The turn of the century era may have been the peak of the popularity of the Eton collar, but that is something we are still assessing. We notice many boys prominently wearing large Eton collars and not only in London and other large cities. Eton collars were worn throughout the country in towns and villages as well. The Eton collar was worn by boys of a wide social. We are building school chronologies which may be helpful in assessing fashion trends. Unfortuntely at this time we only have a general 19th century page.

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web chronological pages:
[The 1840s] [The 1850s] [The 1860s] [The 1870s] [The 1880s] [The 1890s] [The 1900s] [The 1910s] [The 1920s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s]

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Long pants] [Knickers] [Short pants] [Scottish kilts] [School uniform] [Sailor suits] [Eton suits] [Ring bearer/page costumes]

Created: 3:42 PM 8/18/2017
Last updated: 3:42 PM 8/18/2017