The Eton collar was worn with a wide variety of different clothing style. The styles worn with Eton collars included many littkle-boy styles that were not as common in England. Boys in the 19th Century commonly wore dresses or kilt suits until they were 5 or 6 years of age, sometimes even older. Kilt suits were not really kilt suits, but rather skirted suits and not worn with Highland regalia. Highland outfits did commonly include Eton collars There were many different collars employed, especially for dresses. Eton collars were also used for tunics. Boys in the late 19th and early 20th century might wear a dressy blouse with an Eton collar. These were not worn by younger bous who more commonly might wear a ruffled or lace collar. School age boys might wear the Eton collar, although often school age boys up to about 12 or 13 in the 1890s often still wore the more juvenile lace and ruffled collar. After the turn of the century it was more common for these boys to wear an Eton collar instad of the large ruffled collars. After the turn of the century, a number of little boy outfits appeared in the United States. Rompers were one of the most popular styles. Other styles involved short pants. These were initially play suits whichbwere becoming increasingly needed as parents increasingly saw play as a constructive activity for children. American boys wore a wide variety of suits with Eton collars. The number of boys wearing actual Eton suits were quite limited. A much larger number of boys wore single breasted, doubled breasted, Norfolk, and other suits with the Eton collar. One feature of most of the suit jackets worn with Eton collars was that they buttoned to the collar and did not have lapels. Eton collars were most commonly worn by older boys after they had graduated from more juvenile clothes such as tunics, Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits and other styles for younger boys. A boys first real suit by the 1870s or 1880s would often have a Eton collar.

Skirted Garments

Boys in the 19th Century commonly wore dresses or kilt suits until they were 5 or 6 years of age, sometimes even older. The dresses employed a variety of collars and necklines. Eton collars were rarely employed, but we do occassionally see them. Dress collars were extreemly varied. Some did not even have collars. Whle Eton cillar dresses were not very common, we do occassionaly see them. One example is an unidentified Massachuseetts boy, probably in the 1880s. The different collars employed with kilt suits did sometimes include an Eton collar. This was not extreemly common, but more common than for dresses. Boys in kilt suits often had a fancy lace or ruffled collar, deemed more suitable for younger boys. These suits were not really kilt suits, but rather skirted suits and not worn with Highland regalia. Some American boys also wore Scottish kilts in the late 19th century. While not as commonly as in Britain. President Franklin Roosevelt as a boy, for example, wore Scottish kilts. This was not because of Scottish heritages, The Roosevelts were a Dutch family. These were different from the so called kilt suit in that they were reconizeable bright Scottish plaids and included full Highland regalia. These outfits were worn with a variety of collars, including Eton collars. We have noted many tunic outfits worn with wide white collars. They were dobe in various shapes and sizes. Among the different types were Eton collars. Tunic suits became very popular for boys at the turn of the 20th century. The tunic suit was an adaptable garment. They were made for both play and dress wear. They were mde in many styles, including Russian blouses, sailor, Buster Brown, and others. The sailor tunic had their own destinctive collar style. Other tunics could be worn with varied collats. Peter Pan collars were especially popular, but we have noted some boys weaing Eton collars with these tunics as well. The Eton collar would have been worn with a tunic suit when dressng up. It would have been a detable collar added for formal occassions.

Dress Blouse

Boys in the late 19th and early 20th century might wear a dressy blouse with an Eton collar. These were not worn by younger bous who more commonly might wear a ruffled or lace collar. School age boys might wear the Eton collar, although often school age boys up to about 12 or 13 in the 1890s often still wore the more juvenile lace and ruffled collar. After the turn of the century it was more common for these boys to wear an Eton collar instad of the large ruffled collars.

Figure 3.--This little boys wears a play suit with an Eton collar. The photograph was probably taken about 1920. Note his ringlet curls and white strap shoes.

Little Boy Outfits

After the turn of the century, a number of little boy outfits appeared in the United States. Rompers were one of the most popular styles. Other styles involved short pants. These were initially play suits whichbwere becoming increasingly needed as parents increasingly saw play as a constructive activity for children. Most of these outfits were casual, utilitarian outfits, but inexplicably some evolved the restructive Eton collar. Eventually dressier versions of these play suits also appeared. The Eton collars worn by these younger boys were not the same stiff collars worn by older boys. Rather they seem to be rather a cross between the Peter Pan and Eton collars. The appearance, however, is very much like an Eton collar.

Standard Suits

American boys wore a wide variety of suits with Eton collars. We are still collecting information on this to develop information on the many different styles of suits. The number of boys wearing actual Eton suits were quite limited, much more so than in Brutain. A much larger number of boys wore single breasted, doubled breasted, Norfolk, and other suits with the Eton collar. One feature of most of the suit jackets worn with Eton collars was that they buttoned to the collar and did not have lapels. Eton collars were most commonly worn by boys after they had graduated from more juvenile clothes such as tunics, Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits and other styles for younger boys. We do not see, however, older teens wearing them. This of course was afactor in the style of suits being worn. A boys first real suit by the 1870s or 1880s would often have a Eton collar. One of the most common suit styles was the Norfolk suit. We note many boys wearing suits with patterns, in some cases loud patterns. Essentilly this was standard suits worn by American boys at the time. In sime cases we can't see the stle of jackers because the portraits are closeups. This is something we do not se that often in Britain. These suits usually had either kneepants, knickers, or long pants. While kneepants were popular in the late-19th Century, Norfolk suits often came with knickers. Short pants were less common as by the time they had become stylish, Eton collars were less common. Eton collars were also worn with kilts.

Figure 4.--American boys wore Eton collars with suits unrelated to the Eton sits worn by British school boys. I'm not sure how tomfate this photograph, but I believe it was probably taken in the 1870s. Note the small bow.

Eton Suits

Actual Eton suits, modeled on the Eton school uniform, were much less common in America than in England. Some boys from wealthy families wore them, but they were not common. Much more common was wearing an Eton collar with a variety of other suit styles. The Norfolk suit was a particularly popular style in the late 19th and early 20th century. Many boys wore their Norfolk suits with Eton collars. Often a boy might wear his first Norfolk suit with a lace or ruffled collar and large floppy bow for a year or two before moving on to a Eton collar. Some times he might retain the floppy bow for a year or so even after switching to an Eton collar. Norfolk suits were not the only style work with aan Eton collar, nost of the other popular suit styles of the day might also be worn with Eton collars. This comtinued through the 1910a and only after the early 1920s did the Eton collar begin to decline significantly in popularity and be relaced woth soft collars with suiys.

Buster Brown Suits

One interesting fashion website in the glossary indicates that in America that Eton collars were also called Buster Brown collars. HBC has not noticed this reference in contemporary turn of the 20th century publications describing collars worn with Buster Brown suits. We note, however, that as Buster's collar is usually covered by a large bow, it is difficult to tell just what kind of collar he is wearing--except that it is a wide white collar.

American Eton suits

Eton collars were adopted in the 1920s by younger boys wearing the American style of Eton suit which developed for younger boys. This was a short pants suit made with very short short pants, usually suspender shorts. Early suits were mostly worn with Eton collars--albeit much smaller Eton collars than worn by boys at the turn-of-the century. While these Eton suits remained popular for little boys over several decades, the collars were eventually replaced with more comfortable Peter Pan and other soft collars. HBC has noted, however, American boys as late as the early 1950s wearing their Eton suits with formal Eton collars. By this time, the Peter Pan collar was much more common. This style became a standard or youngr American boys--especially boys from affluent families. It had strong social connotations. Few American boys from affluent families during the 1930s-60s grew up without waring an Eton suit as a younger boy.

Figure 5.--This American boy in a 1946 cigarette add wears an Eton collar informally with a sweater rather than a formal suit. It is also a good example of how different cigarette ads used to be. Eton collars were not common in the 1940s, but were still worn.

Informal Styles

The Eton collar is generally considered a dressy, formal style. THere were, however, some exceptions. As noted above, the Eton collar was introduced on some play clothes for young children in the 1920s. While the Peter Pan collar was more popular for these younger children, the Eton collar was used. Older American boys in the 1920s and 30s also began wearing Eton collars with a more informal outfit, such as a sweater. This style had long since peaked, but was still seen in the 1940s. This appears to be a destinctly American style and British boys appear to wear their Eton collars mostly with suits for formal occasions. HBC asked our esident English Eton collar expert id Englosh boys would have worn an Eton collar informally with a sweater. He informs HBC, "Assuming the collar in the picture is a real Eton collar (i.e. stiff and detachable) rather than just a collar in the Eton collar shape and style, I wouldn't expect to see the collar worn in such a casual fashion in Britain. The collars would still have been worn in some traditionally oeiented English schools in the 1940s, as part of official school uniform, but proper Eton suits were by then very rarely seen as formal wear for boys in Britain when out of school."

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Created: 5:50 PM 9/13/2007
Last updated: 5:50 PM 9/13/2007