Figure 1.--This cabinent card portrait shows dresses being worn by teenage American girls in 1882. Long hair was very popular for girls, but we see some girls with very short hair. A reader asks, "How do you know the teen on the left is a girl? There are some attributes to the dress along with the short hair and boyish face that made me uncertain? Explaining how you know would be an interesting addition to the page." Click on the image for a discussion of this issue.

We have only begun our assessment of American girls clothes. We hope to eventuslly have aetailed chronology. American girls like girls in other countries wore dresses throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. We do not know a great deal about dresses at this time. We believe dress styles were largely set in Europe throughout the 19h century. We do not, however, know to what extent American and European dress styles varied. We want to develop information on fashion trends over time. We also want to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles. This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. Not only did girls wear dresses in the 19th century, but so did younger boys. Girls continued to wear dresses in the 20th century. Only after World War II do we commonly see girls wearing other garments. We begin to see girls wearing pants in the 1920s and 30s, but mostly in casual situations. Only in the 1960s do we see girls commonly wearing pants. Here American girls led the way for a trend that would be followed in ther countries. Gradually in the 20th century it became popular for girls to wear boys' styles like shirts and jeans. In sharp contrast to the 19th century, boys' did not wear girls' styles. We note girls wearing a wide variety of hair styles, ranging from very short ro very long. The short cuts in many instances look rather boyish.

Chronology

We have only begun our assessment of American girls clothes. We hope to eventuslly have aetailed chronology.

Garments

American girls like girls in other countries wore dresses throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. We do not know a great deal about dresses at this time. We believe dress styles were largely set in Europe throughout the 19h century. We do not, however, know to what extent American and European dress styles varied. We want to develop information on fashion trends over time. We also want to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles. This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. Not only did girls wear dresses in the 19th century, but so did younger boys. Girls continued to wear dresses in the 20th century. Only after World War II do we commonly see girls wearing other garments. We begin to see girls wearing pants in the 1920s and 30s, but mostly in casual situations. Only in the 1960s do we see girls commonly wearing pants. Here American girls led the way for a trend that would be followed in ther countries. Gradually in the 20th century it became popular for girls to wear boys' styles like shirts and jeans. In sharp contrast to the 19th century, boys' did not wear girls' styles.

Hair

We note girls wearing a wide variety of hair styles, ranging from very short ro very long. Long hair is commonly associated with girls. And we see many girls with long tresses. But short hair was also at times fashionable. The short cuts in many instances look rather boyish.

Age

Created: 12:43 AM 9/18/2007
Last updated: 1:13 AM 4/19/2009