Francis Hodgson Burnett helped popularize a style of dress for boys that proved exceedingly popular among doting mothers in the late 19th and early 20th century. The author modeled her famous fictional creation after her own son, Vivian, and thereby condemned a generation of “manly little chaps” to the picturesque romantic outfits. The actual descriptions of Little Lord Fauntleroy suits were limited in her book, Little Lord Fauntleroy. Perhaps even more influential than the text were the pictures drawn by Reginald Birch, the artist who illustrated the story.
Fancy velvet suits for boys were not the creation of Mrs. Burnett. She was born in England and lived for a time in France. Thus she got many of her ideas from European fashions that were worn by boys from affluent families. The clothing styles popularized in her book were based on the styles she adopted for her two sons. Velvet suits with lace collars were worn by small boys as party dress before the publication of Ms. Burnett’s novel. It was her book, however, that put these suits on the fashion map and gave them their instantly recognizable name. While mothers were enchanted with novel and elegant suits, they were not popular with the boys, especially when mothers selected them for boys much beyond 6 or 7 years. The sons of countless impressionable American mothers, however, were condemned to velvet page-boy suits, short pants, lace collars, and the crowning burden, long flowing curly locks.
I can not imagine subjecting my son to this. My grandmother did dress my father this way and he did indeed have long flowing curls, that were finally cut around age 5.
It is heading into past the middle of the month and as we are reading this slowly the end is fast approaching. I have very much enjoyed this old classic.
Reading on……
