by Lesley Drayton, Curator, Fort Collins Local History Archive
One of my favorite authors as a child was Frances Hodgson Burnett, who penned such children’s classics as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. While she was entertaining the masses with her wonderful stories, however, she also had a surprising impact on fashion with her 1886 tale Little Lord Fauntleroy. Cedric, the story’s central character, wore elaborate velvet outfits with ruffled collars; this “Fauntleroy Suit” became a major fad for American middle-class children’s formal wear, lasting into the early 20th century.
Fort Collins boys were not exempt from this fashion trend. Check out these stylish lads:
Carleton Children, left to right: Guy S., Mary Loa, and Clyde Otis
Claude Covington
Conrey Children, left to right: Edith (standing), Arthur, Stephen, Frank, and Charles
Melissa and Ralph Giddings, Sr, from an oil painting owned by the Giddings family
I wonder how many of these suits can still be found in local attics?
More to Explore 
One cannot help but notice also that those were the days when photographers almost never said to their subjects “smile” or “say cheese.” Or maybe having to wear a gigantic bowtie made these little guys glum anyway.
Doug
I agree, Doug. None of them seem too happy about it except for the two Carleton boys in the top image, and even their smiles seem a little uncertain!
I noticed that the eldest boy in the Conrey photo wore a bow tie. Perhaps when they reached a certain age, the boys graduated from the big, floppy bows to more dignified bow ties? That must have been a great birthday! Wonder what their dads thought of this foppishness (is that a word?).
I suspect first you got to wear a dignified bow tie, and then you got to wear full length pants. Ah, the fashion milestones!