Figure 1.--This American boy was photograohed in Oneida, New York. He wears a very fancy lace collar with his Fauntleroy suit. Notice the matching lace trim on the wrist cuffs. Also notice the embroidered trim in the velvet jacket. The image is undated, but we would guess the portrait was taken in the late 1880s.

Fauntleroy suits and blouses were the most common boys' outfit with which lace collar were worn. Lace collars for boys were primary trim worn with Fauntleroy suits from their appearance in the 1880s throgh the first decade of the 20th century. The collar was a critical part of the Fauntleroy suit. In fact, some suits were worn with such a large collar and matching wrist trim that it was hard to see the suit itself. Fauntleroy suits were worn with collared blouses or had lace collars pinned on the jacket. Usually there was also matching wrist trim. Lace collars with Fauntleroy suits were particularly popular in the 1880s and 90s, but gradualely have way to ruffle collars. Afterwards the turn of the century, especially by the 1910s, lace was less commonly worn and ruffled collars became more common. HBC is unsure as to the reason for this shift. One fashion scholar opines that it was just a change in fashion--a variation to keep the trend fresh. What lace is used also seems to get a bit skimpier. One factor may have been the cost of lace.

Association with Fautleroy Suits

Fauntleroy suits and blouses were the most common boys' outfit with which lace collar were worn. Lace collars for boys were primary trim worn with Fauntleroy suits from their appearance in the 1880s throgh the first decade of the 20th century. In most discussions of Fauntleroy suits, lace collars like the one seen here (figure 1) are mentioned. Actually in the photographic record, ruffled collars seem more common.

Fautleroy Collars

The collar was a critical part of the Fauntleroy suit. Very few boys wore Fauntleroy suits with out ellaborate fancy collars, both with and without bows. In fact, some suits were worn with such a large collar and matching wrist trim that it was hard to see the suit itself. Generally speaking the larger collars were the ruffled collars and not the much more expensive lace collars. The boy here of course wears a lace collar (figure 1). Some were of course hybreads, ruffled collars with lace trim.

Garment

We are trying to determine just what kind of item the lace collar was. The lace collar and wrist trim here looks to us to have been pinned on rather than an integral part of the blouse, although it is difficult to tell. Fauntleroy suits were worn with collared blouses or had lace collars pinned on the jacket. While we are not sure about this, we believe that generally speaking the lace collars were pinned on rather than a part of the blouse. Some blouses wid, however, have collars with lace added to the ruffle trim. We at first thought most of the original lace collars were fancy blouses worn with small jackets. Increasingly we believe that the elaborate lace collars and cuffs appear to have been attached to the jacket, but were not part of the blouse. One complication here is that many of the boys are not wearing ready-made clothes. Boys from wealthy families might have their suits and blouses made by a seamstress. Thus the conformity develooed with ready made clothes in the 20th century is not yet the case with Fauntlerou suits in the late 19th century. We have noted Fauntleroy blouses in catalogs, but these seem to havec ruffled collars or ruffled collars wiyh lce trim rather than large lace collars.

Matching Wrist Trim

Usually there was also matching wrist trim. This is almost always the case with fancy, expensive velvet suits. The wridst trim could be quite elborate and was normally done to mstch the stule of the collar. Note how the pattern of the collar here is replicated in the wrist cuff trim. The wrist cuff trim could be quite elborate. Sometimes in reached up to the elbow. Most of thesecreally large wrist cuffs were ruffled trim. Wrist trim in lace was generally more restrained, although like the boy here still a considerable size (figure 1).

Chronology

Lace collars with Fauntleroy suits were particularly popular in the 1880s and 90s, but gradualely have way to ruffle collars. Afterwards the turn of the century, especially by the 1910s, lace was less commonly worn and ruffled collars became more common. HBC is unsure as to the reason for this shift. One fashion scholar opines that it was just a change in fashion--a variation to keep the trend fresh. What lace is used also seems to get a bit skimpier. [Paoletti] One factor may have been the cost of lace.

Variations

Lace collars came in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and lace type. Rather than replicating this discussion here and for others garments for swhich lace collars were used such as kilt suits, we are going to archive our discussion of lace collars to the lace collar section. Much od it swill, hoiwever, prtain specifically to Fauntleroy suits as they are the major garment for shich lace collars were worn by boys.

Bows

We have noted boys in Fauntleroy suits wearing large floppy bows with their large collars. This was, however, not always the case. Note that the boy here does not wear a bow at all (figure 1). There were of course great variarion with these Fauntleroy outfits. We have noted boys bnoth with and without bows. Generally spealing, bows were much more common with ruffled collars thjan with lace collars. The reason we believe for this is what we might term "dashion economics". Ryffled collars were relatively inexpensive. For a large bow, mothers could simplu buy a larger collar at no great expense. Lace was, however, could be quite exoensive, especially high-quality lace. Thus it did not make sence to buy expensive lace just to cover it up with a large bow and it could be very expensive to buy a lace collar big enough to show under ax large floppy bow.

Sources

Paoletti, Jo. Personal communications, November 18, 1999.

Created: 4:09 AM 6/29/2004
Last updated: 1:35 AM 7/8/2004