Figure 1.--This unidentified American boy looks to be about 5 years old. He ius elegantly done up in a kilt suit. Notice the Eton collar. the cabinet card is undated, but was probably taken in the early-1880s. The studio was Langhorne in Plainfield, New Jersey. Click on the image for a fuller description.

Kilt suits were normally worn with jackets and often vests. Thus we usually do not get to see much of the the tops the boys are wearing undeneath--except for the collars, and in sone case the wrist cuffs. The original kilt-suits which we first see in numbers (1860s) were worn with small usually top (blouse/shirt) collars which was the fashion at the time. Collars gradually increased in size during the 1870s. This is why we think the portrait here was taken in the late-1870s. It was, however, in the 1880s with Fauntleroy Craze that huge collars began to appear. The boy here is a good example, but there were even much larger collars. The largest collars were the ruffled collars attached to Fauntleroy blouses. The lace collars were pin on collars. This means that they could be worn with shirt waists. The ruffled collars were generally part of the Fauntleroy blouses. For some reason the fauntleroy blouses usually done with rectangular back flaps, rather like a sailor blouse. Lace collars were more likely to follow a basically circular pattern, but were highly variable. The boy here is wearing a detachable Eton collar. Botice that forEton cor pin-on claars there are not marching wrist cuffs like yhose that Fauntleroy blouses often had. The Fauntleroy Craze in Ameriac was so pervasive that mothers put all kinds of Fauntleroy items, especially large collars, on a wide variety of outfits, including regular suits, tunic suits, and even sailor suit jackets, but the jacket might not be worn during warm summer weather.

Assessment Problems

Kilt suits were normally worn with jackets and often vests. Thus we usually do not get to see much of the the tops the boys are wearing undeneath--except for the collars, and in sone case the wrist cuffs. The jackets and vests usually cover anything else.

Types

There were no cllar styles specuifically designed for kilt suits. Rather boys wore different styles that were popular at the time and wirn uth otyher outfits.

Blouse/Shirt Collars

The original kilt-suits which we first see in numbers (1860s) were worn with small usually top (blouse/shirt) collars which was the fashion at the time. This is difficult to assess because all we see is a bit of the shirt/blouse peeking out at the collar. Collars gradually increased in size during the 1870s. This is why we think the portrait here was taken in the late-1870s, possibly the early-80s (figure 1). Of course the Fauntleroy blouses with huge collars appeared (mid-80s) and were a huge fsctor in boys' wear for some two decdes (1885-1905). This significantly impacted boys wearing kilt suits during this perriod. The huge ruffled collars were generally part of the Fauntleroy blouses. For some reason the Fauntleroy blouses usually done with rectangular back flaps, rather like a sailor blouse. Lace collars were more likely to follow a basically circular pattern, but were highly variable. Notice that there are no matching wrist cuffs that Fauntleroy blouses often had. The Fauntleroy Craze in Ameriac was so pervasive that mothers put all kinds of Fauntleroy items, especially large collars, on a wide variety of outfits, including regular suits, tunic suits, and even sailor suit jackets, but the jacket might not be worn during warm summer weather.

Pin-on Collars

It was the Fauntleroy Craze that huge collars began to appear (1880s). Most were the Fauntleroy blouse collars discussed above. But in addition to the Fauntleroy blouse, there were also pin-on collars, mostly klace collars. The Fauntleroy blouses were mosly rufflled collars, perhaps with some bits of lacve. The actual lace collars were usually pin-on collars. The lace collrs for boys is assiociated with Fauntleroy suits. More common for the classic Fauntleroy suits were the huge rulled collars worn as part of Fauntleroy blouses. Lace collars despite the popular concept were less common and much smaller than the Fauntleroy blouse ruffled collars. Pin-on-collars could be worn with shirt waists. Notice that there are no matching wrist cuffs that Fauntleroy blouses often had. The Fauntleroy Craze in Ameriac was so pervasive that mothers put all kinds of Fauntleroy items, especially large collars, on a wide variety of outfits, including regular suits, tunic suits, and even sailor suit jackets, but the jacket might not be worn during warm summer weather.

Detachable Collars

We also kilt suits being worn with detachable collars. Here we are primarily talking about Eton collars. The boy here is a good example (figure 1). But not all of these collars were the iconic pointed tip collar as we see here. It was the pointed-tip style that was worn at Eton College and other schools in England. But we also see these collars with rounded tips. Here they were done in many different styles and not just for boys. These detachable collars were not the really large collars. They varied in size which were affected by chromological styles. We see tiny Eton callars in the 1860s, but very sybstantial ones at the tirn of the 20th century. This was during the age range of the kilt suit. Eton collars, however, were not by any means the largest collars. There were, however, much larger collars. The really large collars worn with kilt suit and other outfits were the iconic Fauntleroy blouses.

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Created: 2:50 AM 7/28/2021
Last updated: 2:38 PM 1/14/2024