Figure 1.--This CDV shows an unidentified London boy about 1870. He looks to be about 3 years old. He is photographed sitting on a tasble and holding a toy sailobost. He wears a collarless and sleeveless velvet dress tied at the shoulders with leading strings. The buttons are purely ornamental.The studio is R. Roberts Willson in London. The CDV is not dated, but looks like the late-60s or early-70s. Note the choice of toy. Trains or shipswere meant to identify a boy.

A fashionable dress is designed for women. And in a woman's dress a neckline is chosen to emphasizes or deemphasize the bosom. Of course this has nothing to do with children, both boys and girls. But boys did at times wear fashionsable dresses conforming with the fashions of the day. There are two types of open neckline treatmemt. There are open collars and there are collarless dresses. Open collars were dresses with collars, but they were not closed. Unlike boys' boys' blouses and shirts, dresses normally buttoned in the back rather than the front. As a result open collars did not mean that they were unbuttoned. There were no buttons to button in most dresses. It did mean that there were commonly generous openings which could be done in various shapes, round, square and V-shapes. There were also open necks, meaning dresses without any collars. Open necks were very common in the early-19th century and mid-19th century. A good example is an unidentified English boy, probably in the 1830s. Open neck collars were done to various depths and shapes. We see some dresses done with low necklines like fashionable ladies might wear. We see rounded, "V", square, and rectangular and countless refimenents of those basic shapes. Higher cut neckline around the neck were more common. A good example is an unidentified Frome boy and his older sister in the 1860s. They have moderate open neclkines. And we continue to see these open necklines into the 1870s. There are three basic styles: on the shoulders, off the shoulders, and strapless. Children open-neck dresses were normally done as on the shoulder dresses. The neckline was decorated in various ways with lace or other decoration.

Fashion Trends

A fashionable dress is designed for women. And in a woman's dress a neckline is chosen to emphasizes or deemphasize the bosom. Of course this has nothing to do with children, both boys and girls. But boys did at times wear fashionsable dresses conforming with the fashions of the day.

Types

Chronology

Open necks were very common in the early-19th century and mid-19th century. A good example is an unidentified English boy, probably in the 1830s. Open neck collars were done to various depths. and shapes. A good example is an unidentified Frome boy and his older sister in the 1860s. They have moderate open neclkines. And we continue to see these open necklines into the 1870s.

Styling

We see some dresses done with low necklines like fashionable ladies might wear. We see rounded, "V", square, and rectangular and countless refimenents of those basic shapes. Higher cut neckline around the neck were more common. There are three basic styles: on the shoulders, off the shoulders, and strapless. Children open-neck dresses were normally done as on the shoulder dresses. The neckline was decorated in various ways with lace or other decoration.

Created: 12:21 AM 4/22/2018
Last updated: 2:49 AM 9/28/2019