Figure 1.--This velvet Fauntleroy suit was a purpulish color. It came with a skirt-kilt and was worn bu a boy 6-7 years of age.
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Figure 1.--This velvet Fauntleroy suit was a purpulish color. It came with a skirt-kilt and was worn bu a boy 6-7 years of age. |
The Fauntleroy rage began in 1885-86 after the publication of Mrs.
Burnett's s famous book, Little Lord Fauntleroy. Fancy velvet suits for boys began appearing
in the late 1870s and early 1880s for younger boys, but did not begin to take its final form in the popular mind until the population of Mrs Burnett's book Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1885-86. Rather than a
fancy suit only occasionally seen, the Fauntleroy suit became almost a uniform of American boyhood for boys from affluent and many middle class families. They were not popular with the boys, but, oh--how mothers loved them. how Soon the syle had spread to Europe and was especially popular in France.
A great deal is know about these suits as there are many photographs
of boys in these suits as well as detailed discriptions in fashion magazines.
Great care needs to be taken in assessing these suits from the available
black and white photography. It suggests that the suits were mostly
black. In additiion many of the photographs are of poor quality.
Some interesting details on the color, material, and construction cab
be obtained by assessing actual suits which have survived.
The Fauntleroy suit proved so popular that many mothers wanted to use the style even before breeching their sons. Thus the style was often combined with the
kiltsuit style to form a skirted or Fauntleroy kilt suit. There were also Fauntleroy dresses, but the kilt suit was more common.
Figure 2.--Notice the decorative buttons and the blue cotton linings. |
This is a great jacket and pleated skirt/kilt suit from the late 1880s.
This suit would have been worn by a little boy, despite the skirt/kilt. Girls would have worn much fancier dresses and tghe style of the suit is that of a kilt suit commonly worn boys at the time.
The suit is of the softest velvet in a soft purple shade.
When examining the lining the original color was a brighter royal blue but it has faded evenly to the softer purple shade. The lining material for the skirt is a different color and material than the jacket, even though they are a matching suit.
The suit jacket measures 10" in length with an 8" underarm sleeve length. The edges
(hem, front, and neckline) of the jacket are bound in a blue ribbon trim. The jacket is lined in red satin with gold satin in the sleeves for lining. The neck closure is a velvet tab that buttons to either side on two brass ball buttons. Notice that the jacket would have not closed in full. It was made small so that a frilly blouse worn with the suit would have been shown to best advantage.
Figure 3.--Notice the red and yellow satin linings on the jacket. |
Skirt is the more accurate term as it is not plaid, but many such garments were still marketed as kilt suits in the 1880s and 1890s. The skirt has 9 pleats around it and a front panel with double rows of six buttons. The buttons are carved mother of pearl. The skirt is lined with a blue polished cotton. The skirt measures 11" long with a deep 3-1/2" hem. The waist is 23" (a 23" waist is about a size 6X or 7 in today's sizes). There are nine concealed button holes in the waistband that probably attached to the underblouse (no longer available). Many Fauntleroy blouses buttoned on to the waist of the matching knee pants and the same was true for the skirt suits.
These Fauntleroy skirts suits were very practical garments. They could be worn by a boy before breeching. After breeching the skirt could be worn with matching kneepants and worn until the jacket wore out.
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