Figure 1.--This Spanish royal in the 16th Century wears the blommer-like breeches and stockings that were characteristic of the era. These breeches evolved into knee breeches in the 17th Century.

The modern chronolgy pages explore the relationship between children's and adults' fashions as well as broader developing social trends in our modern era . The modern chronology pages begin with the 16th century (1500s). This is after the Renaissance had opened the eyes of Medieval Europeans and Cloumbus had completed his voyages opening the new World and the era of discoveries. These and other developements were to lead to a European intelectual, economic, and military expansion that was to create our modern world. The focus of the modern chronolgy pages is the era beginning with late 18th Century when boys' suits began to depart from the tradition of clothing children as miniature adults. The chronolgy pages then chroicle the development of specilized children's clothes, decribing the popular styles in each decade.

The 16th Century

Fashions changed very slowly before the modern era. Babies and young children wore dresses. The dresses for both boys and girls were vitually identical. Boys were "breeched" by 5 to 7 years of age and were immediately put into small replicas of the styles worn by their fathers. Men wore breeches looking almost like bloomers. The 16th Century breeches ended well above the knee and were worn with long hose. There was little in the way of styles designed specifically with children in mind. At the same time, women's legs were well hidden under long dresses

The 17th Century

Boys continued to be dressed as their fathers after they were breeched. Both men and boys wore the same styles. Two important new styes appeared that would evolve into modern clothes. At the beginning of the Century the coat which would evolve into modern suit jackets appeared. By the end of the jackets breeches lengthened to the knee and were would ceventually lengthen to modern trousers. There were still no specialized styles for children.

Figure 2.--Boys wore knee breeches like their fathers during most of the 18th century. This 18th Century Renyolds painting shows a mid-century suit worn by a small boy. Note the brightly colored red suit.

The 18th Century

European and American infants for much of the 18th century were normally swaddled which mean being bound to a board or neck which kept the neck and back straight. This was just the opposite of the modern concept of stimualting and developing activities to exercize an infants mind and body. Swadling was seen as benefecicial to both the child's moral character as well as his physical development. Sawdling continued until about 2 years of age when boys and girls alike were put into ankle-length dresses with leading strings. Little boys in the 18th century continued wearing dresses just like their sisters. Once breeched, men and boys wore the same styles. The only difference was that boys' outfits were pbviously scaled down to fit. Male garb in the 18th century was dominated by knee breeches and long stockings. Knee breeches were the pre-runner of modern trosers. Both men and boys wore them. There were no specialized boys clothes until the later decades of the century when the skeleton soon first appeared. Early skeleton suits had knee breeches, but soon they were made with long pants--well before gentlemen stated wearing trousers.

Figure 3.--The dresses worn by boys at the turn of the Century were long floor-length dresses in the Empire style, just like the ones worn by their mothers and sisters. This 1802 painting Sir Thomas Lawrence is Lady Mary Templeton and her eldest son Henry who was 2-years old.

The 19th Century

The 19th century is the most important history in the development of children's clothes. Until the late 18th century there was no such thing as specialized children's clothes. Even with the appearance of boys' skeletion suits, such outfits were still the exception rather thjan the rule and girls's continued to wear the same styles as their mothers. It was only in the 19th century that specialized children's clothes were fully accepted. The first style to appear was the classic skeleton suit. The long pants worn with skeleton suits were to help establis long pants as the principal male garment of modern times. The styles that developed in the 19th century still ibfluence boys' clothing today. The styles that developed varied widely from the simple practical sailor suit to the fancy, elaborate Fauntleroy suit. Interestingly the jean overalls developed for working men in the 19th century were eventually to become the most important fashion for boys in the 20th century.

The 20th Century

The sailor suit epitomizes turn of the century dress for boys along with sailor hats and the familiar streamers. Some new styles appeared after the turn of the century. Russian blouses were very popular. Clothing styles for boys became some what less formal. Little boys emerged from dresses at earlier ages. Rompers for todlers. Formal dress was still common at the beginning of the centurry, but after World War I, the general trend in boys clothing was increasingly casual styles. Knnepants were displaced by knickers and short pants, but after World War II, long pants became increasingly common. In the late 20th this trend appears to have reached its peak. Boys commonly wore baseball caps, "T" shirts, jeans and sneakers. It is difficult to see that clothing styles can become any more casual.

The 21st Century

HBC has not yet noted any important shifts in boys fashions or any innovative new fashions during the 21st century. Fashions so far continue to be the same as those worn in the late 1990s. It is still early on of course and no doubt some new styles will soon appear.

Time Line

The history of boys' fashions and changes over time, like other types of fashions, are intermingled with many other developments in publishing, photography, cloth and clothing manufacturing, war and social upheval, book and magazine publishing, and other developments. HBC though it might be useful to develop a time line to sketch out the chronology of these events over a long time period.

Created: October 10, 1998
Last updated: 5:35 PM 5/26/2007