Figure 1.--Light colored party dresses, white gloves, white anglets, and Mary Jane strap shoes were very common for little girls at dancing lessons. Some girls wore dark colored patterned dresses, but white or light colored dresses were much more common.

The children always wore their best clothes for dancing school. The girls wore their best party frocks--usually white or a light pastel collar. At the more formal classes they would wear white gloves. Boys might also wear white gloves, although by the 1940s this had become much less common for the boys. White anglets and Mary Jane strap patent leather shoes were almost de regur. For some reason in the 1940s and 50s, girls usually wore white anglets when dressing up--rately white kneesocks. I'm not sure why this was. The boys usually wore dark suits. During the summer some light colored suits might be seen. Short pants suits were common. Younger boys might wear Eton suits--ith a variety of collars. Collar styles included Peter Pan and Eton colars. Many boys did not wear kneesocks with their sort pants suits--but if they did they were almost always dark kneesocks. The purpose of the formal dress of course was to develop formal social skills as well as dress. It was also one of the reasons many boys were not very pleased about attending dancing lessons.

Chronology

As is the case of all fashions, the clothes they wore changed over time. HBC still does not have a clear understanding of when it became common to send children to dancing school. HBC believes this is largely a function of the late 19th century as industrial development was creating a rising middle class seeking to acquire the social graces. Warlier the wealthy hired instructors for home tutoring. The middle class could not afford this, but could afford lessons. A better understanding of the time line is of course necessary to understand what fashions have been worn at dancing school.

Girls Clothes

The girls for dancing lessons wore their best party frocks--usually white or a light pastel colored frocks. The perdominance of these light-colored frocks suggests that mothers played a significant role in selecting the right frock for their daughters. At the more formal classes the girls would wear white gloves--still considered a necessary formal fashion accessory for girls in the 1950s. White anglets and Mary Jane strap patent leather shoes were almost de regur. Most girls wore black Mary Janes, but occasiobally even at very formal dancing classes a girl might also wear red Mary Janes. For some reason in the 1940s and 50s, girls usually wore white anglets when dressing up--rarely were white kneesocks. I'm not sure why this was. Children had worn white kneesocks since the 1920s, perhaps they were not yet so clearly identified as a girls' garment as later became the case in some countries. The white kneesock as well as white tights were to become in many country's a fashion standard for little girls.

Figure 2.--This younger boy wears a colored button suit, white ankle socks, a Mary Jane patentbleather shoes. Usually such young boys were not involved in dancing lessons.

Boys' Clothes

Boys in contrast to the girls wore rather a greater variety of clothes. This was in part a function of the boys' ages. While there were not a clearly defined style break between pre-school and younger grade school girls clothes, there were very significan styles worn by younger boys that were often not worn once the boy began to go to school. Some younger boys wore juvenile outfits like button suits, although this was not common. Boys clothes have also varied over time. Boys have worn kneepants, knickers, short pamrs, and log pants. Jacket styles have also changed. Most boys usually wore dark suits. During the summer some light colored syits might be seen. Short pants suits were common. Younger boys might wear Eton suits--ith a variety of collars. Collar styles included Peter Pan and Eton colars. Many boys did not wear kneesocks with their short pants suits--but if they did they were almost always dark kneesocks. Earlier dark long stockings were more common. Until after Worl War I, it is unlikely that boys attended formal dancing lessons in short pants, although some boys may have worn them with long stockings. Boys might also wear white gloves, although by the 1940s this had become much less common for the boys.

Button-on suits

Boys in contrast to the girls wore rather a greater variety of clothes. This was in part a function of the boys' ages. Some younger boys wore juvenile outfits like button suits. As befitting a younger child, there was usuallu greater tollerance of color in these fancy suits. These suits were not very common at dancing classes, primarily they were outfits for younger pre-school or very young school children, younger than the age of the children generally sent to dancing school. While there were not a clearly defined style break between pre-school and younger grade school girls clothes, the same was not true for boys. There were several popular styles worn by younger boys that were often not worn once the boy began to go to school--at least to school. These styles included button suits, shortalls, and other juvenile styles. This sharp break in fashion styles meant that there could be quite a range of different styles permitted for boys at formal dancing lessons. There were often at least some of these younger children present. The formality of the occasion might be seen in these outfits because they were usually worn buttoned to the collar, not open colared styles. Also at least through the 1950s the boys might wear formal footwear like strap shoes. Some of them, like the girls, as late as the 1950s were still wearing white anglet socks and patent leather strap shoes.

Figure 3.--Most boys wearing Eton suits wore the short pants versions, often with matching dark kneesocks. A few boys also wore them with long pants. These black suits were more popular in American than other countries. Note the Eton-style collars.

Eton suits

Little American boys began wearing short pants suits in the late 1920s. The Eton suits were styled loosely on the famed Eton suit, with short lapelless jackets. There was an aristocratic air about them and they were popular mostly with affluent families looking toEurooe for their fashion guidance. Interestingly, this style for little boys was never very popular in England. It was only in American that it became a fashion standard for younger boys. Eton suits were a very poplar choice for grade school boys throug about 8 years of age. Usually they were black Eton suits. Dark blue and grey Eton suits were also worn. During the summer some light colored suits might be seen. The colors varied but wre normally flat tones like linnen or off whites, never bright colors. The dark more formal suits, however, were most common. Usually Eton suits were short pants suits--commonly suspender shorts. Eton suits were made withlong pants, but not knickers. The short pants versions, however, were more common. This was especially true at dancing school, although a fe boys did wear them with long pants to their dancing lessons. Eton suits were almost always worn as suits, maeaning matching jackets and pants. They were not commonly worn as blazers with different colored pants, as this was not considered sufficently formal. There were some boys who wore them as blazers, but not very many. In the rare instances where they were worn as blazers, it was normally a blue jacket with grey pants. These Eton suits were worn with a wide variery of collars. The earliest Eton suits were worn with Eton collars and they were still seen even in the 1950s. Beginning in the late 1940s, however, Peter Pan collars became increasingly popular with Eton suits--especially for younger boys. Eton suits were also worn with regular collars. Neckwear also varid. Some boys, especially those wearing Preter Pan collars simply bittoned their collars. Ndckwear wuth Eton collars was highly varied. Neck ties might be worn with regular collars, but bowties were more common.

Blazers

A blue blazer and grey slacks became a fashion standard for American boys after World War II (1941-45). Normally boys wiore blue blazers, usually single breasted, and grey slacks. This was not consideed suffucently formal at many dancing schools even as lateas the 1950s. It became much more acceptable by the 1960s.

Figure 4.--American boys by the 1950s commonly dressed up in dark suits either black or navy blue. This was especially true of boys from wealthy or affluent middle class families. They might also havecsports jackets, but the dark suit was worn for formal occasions.

Suits

Most formal dancing schools incouraged mothers to bring their boys dressed in their best suits. It probably was not necessary to incourage them as most mothers in the late 19th and early 20th century would probably not have conceived of semding their sons off to dancing school in anything but their best suits. Boys in the late 19th century commonly wore kneepants suits and after the turn of the century knicker suits became more common. After World War I, boys wore a variety of suits. Kneepants went out of fashion, but short pants, knicker, and long pants suits were worn. Boys wore both single and doublr breastervblazers, butvsinfle breasted ones were most common. American boys by the 1950s commonly dressed up in dark suits either black or navy blue. This was especially true of boys from wealthy or affluent middle class families. They might also have sports jackets, but the dark suit was worn for formal occasions.

Socks

Boys in the late 19th century wore long stockings with suits--normally long dark stockings. Kneesocks became increasingly common after the turn of the century. They mostly replaced long stockings un the 1920s but long stockings did not finally disappear untilmthe late 1940s. Boys wore their knickers and short pants wth kneesocks in the 1930s, but ankle socks became more common in the 1930s. Many boys wore short pants suits with ankle socks by the 1950s as kneesocks became increasingy seen as girls' clothes--at least in the United States. Many boys did not wear kneesocks with their short pants suits--but if they did they were almost always dark kneesocks. Younger boys wearing Eton suits might wear white socks, but dark socks were worn by older boys with siuits that had more adult styling.

Shoes

Boys were expected to wear nicely polished black shoes to go with their dark suits. Saddle shoes were discouraged ih the 1950s, although by the 198os they had become more acceptable as a younger boys' shoe style with an Eton suit.

Gloves

Boys might also wear white gloves, although by the 1940s this had become much less common for the boys.