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Little Lord Fauntleroy suits: American garments blouses Fauntleroy blouse features front placet
American Fauntleroy Blouses: Features--Front
Figure 1.-- Thus is an unusual turn-of the 20th century cabinet card. It shows farm kids outdoors rather than in a studio. We would guess that the portrait was taken in the late-1890s, but outdoor portraits were more comming after the turn of the century. We see two children about 6-10 years of age and a baby in a an impressive carriage. The children's hair is perfectly combed. The boy has twin parts with a small top curl. The girl has a center part and hair part. Both children seem rather enveloped by their clothing. The girl's rather large dress looks like a 1890s style. The boy wears a classic Fauntleroy blouse. Notice the huge collar and wrist cuffs. But particularly striking is the huge fancy front or placket. The studio was Stanford & Co. in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
The classic Fauntleroy blouses were all one piece. They were worn both with and without a jacket. They were easily destinguishable even with a kacket because of the small, open classic cut-away jackets that made up a Fauntleroy suit. The classic Fauntleroy jacket was small and worn open so the front detailing of the blouse around the placket could be seen. The front piece or packet on the Fauntleroy blouse could be highly decorative, although there were options. The front of a classic Fauntleroy blouse was done in three different ways. There were commonly front ruffles, very elaborate ruffles. This varied. While some blouse fronts has elaborate ruffles. Others could be plain.
The first option for these blouses were very plain without a fancy front placket. They might have fancy collars, but usually not as fancy as the blouses with fancy fronts. They would not be a Fauntleroy blouse wthout the fancy collar, but the front could be very plain, not unlike a regular blouse. The blouse plackets had a practical purpose -- the front buttons were worked into it. A good example of a plain front is the blouse worn by New York boy Freddiec Deveraux in 1892.
The second option is a modest front placket weith only modest ruffles at the front. They would normaslly have substantial ruffles collars and often matching wrist cuffs. Most regular blouse plackets were was not ornamental, but Fauntleroy blouses certainly could be. Some had modest ruffled fronts matching the collar, perhaps even eyelet lace. Many also had modest work on the wrist cuffs.
The third option was very elaborate ruffles, often with eyelet lave ariund the front placket. It is these blouses that usually had the most elaborate collars, often with marching wrist cuffs. The fany fronts with really lasrge cillars could seem to almost engulf younger boys.
The material used varied, but was commonly fine shirting, the same as the rest of the blouse.
Boys also wore collar-buttoning jackets. These jackets were larger and worn closed, nostly buttoned at the collar. Separate lace collars and cuff trim were pinned on to these jackets as there was not much sence to buy an expensive fancy blouse and have the biy wear it if you were going to cover it all up. There is no way to be sure abour this, but it seems to be the most likely option for mother.
Cut-away Jackets
The classic Fauntleroy blouses were all one piece. They were worn both with and without a jacket. They were easily destinguishable even with a kacket because of the small, open classic cut-away jackets that made up a Fauntleroy suit. The classic Fauntleroy jacket was small and worn open so the front detailing of the blouse around the placket could be seen. The front piece or packet on the Fauntleroy blouse could be highly decorative, although there were options. The front of a classic Fauntleroy blouse was done in three different ways. There were commonly front ruffles, very elaborate ruffles. This varied. While some blouse fronts has elaborate ruffles. Others could be plain. The material used for the fancy work was normally the same as the blouse. It varied, but was commonly fine shirting, the same as the rest of the blouse.
Plain front
The first option for these blouses were very plain without a fancy front placket. They might have fancy collars, but usually not as fancy as the blouses with fancy fronts. They would not be a Fauntleroy blouse wthout the fancy collar, but the front could be very plain, not unlike a regular blouse. The blouse plackets had a practical purpose -- the front buttons were worked into it. A good example of a plain front is the blouse worn by New York boy Freddiec Deveraux in 1892.
Modest front
The second option is a modest front placket weith only modest ruffles at the front. They would normaslly have substantial ruffles collars and often matching wrist cuffs. Most regular blouse plackets were was not ornamental, but Fauntleroy blouses certainly could be. Some had modest ruffled fronts matching the collar, perhaps even eyelet lace. Many also had modest work on the wrist cuffs.
The third option was very elaborate ruffles, often with eyelet lave ariund the front placket. It is these blouses that usually had the most elaborate collars, often with marching wrist cuffs. The fany fronts with really large collars could seem to almost engulf younger boys. The Pennsylvania boy here is a good example (figure 1). He is a little older than the youngest boys wearing these fancy blouses so he does nor seem quite so engulfed. The huge fancy front make his floppy bow seem modest. We have seen larger collars, but this is one of the most elaborate front plackets that we have seen in the photographic record. With all this fancy work, these were the most expensive blouses. Price also deended on the material.
Other Jackets
Boys wore other suit jackets besides the classic cut-away jasckets. We see both collar-buttoning jackets and lapel sack suits. Therse tend ton be a littlev older boys thasn those wearing the classic jackets. . These collar buttoning jackets were larger and worn closed, nostly buttoned at the collar. Separate lace collars and cuff trim were pinned on to these jackets as there was not much sence to buy an expensive fancy blouse and have the boy wear it if you were just going to cover it all up. The whole ouroose was to show it off. There is no way to be sure abour this, but it seems to be the most likely option for mother. Lapel sack suits could be worn open, but e gernerally see the jackets buttoned up. They would espose some of the frint placket of a Fauntleroy blouse, but we have not noted boys wearing the really elaborate blouses with these jackets.
