Figure 1.--Here we see a little American boy and his big sisters wearing dresses, but the boy's dres is styled differently. The cabinet card portrait is undated, but the mount style and pinking suggests that it was taken about 1890-95. Notice the plain styling front-buttoning, and belt of the boy; dress. He looks to be about 3 years old. The studio was the New York Gallery in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Boys for centuries wore dresses styled much like the ones worn by their sisters. And in the early-19th century we still see boys wearung dresses styled like their sisters, although our archive is still fairly limited with this period. We are not sure if boy-styled dresses even existed at the time. The only difference in paintings and early photographs may be the props introduced as gender clues. By the late-19th century destinctive boys styles appeared. at the same time we notice fewer and younger boys wearing dresses. This was, however, still largely a family mother--mother's discression. Not all mothers selected these boy styles. There were no definitive rules on styling boy dresses. Some boys were dressed in fancy dresses like their sisters. The boy dresses by the late 19th century had become increasingly common. Thus boy dresses seem a phenomenon largely associated with the late-19th century and to a lesser extent the very-early 20th century. It is interesting that it was seen necessary to develop specific styles for boys in the late-19th century. This was not seen necessary in the early-19th century. We are still working on the chronology. We are not yet sure about the 1880s, but believe that the trend for boy-styled dresses began then. The trend for boy-styled dresses was well established in the 1890s. We also see it in the 1900s, but the convention of younger boys wearing dresses rapidly declined in the 1900s, even boy-styles dresses. And it was no longer common by the 1910s to see even younger boys wearing dresses beyond infancy.

Early-20th Century (1800-40)

Boys for centuries wore dresses styled much like the ones worn by their sisters. And in the early-19th century we still see boys wearung dresses styled like their sisters, although our archive is still fairly limited with this period. We are not sure if boy-styled dresses even existed at the time. The only difference in paintings and early photographs may be the props introduced as gender clues.

Mid-19th Century (1840-70)

Late-19th Century (1870-1900)

By the late-19th century destinctive boys styles appeared. at the same time we notice fewer and younger boys wearing dresses. This was, however, still largely a family mother--mother's discression. Not all mothers selected these boy styles. There were no definitive rules on styling boy dresses. Some boys were dressed in fancy dresses like their sisters. The boy dresses by the late-19th century had become increasingly common. We think kilt suits were a factor here. We do not see different stlinguntil the appearnce of the kilt suit in the 1860s. Perhaps this resulted in mothers seeing beginning to see different styles as appropriate for the genders. And we see some dresses looking rather like suits, something we did not see earlier. Thus boy dresses seem a phenomenon largely associated with the late-19th century and to a lesser extent the very-early 20th century. It is interesting that it was seen necessary to develop specific styles for boys in the late-19th century. This was not seen necessary in the early-19th century. We are still working on the chronology. We are not yet sure about the 1880s, but believe that the trend for boy-styled dresses began then. The trend for boy-styled dresses was well established in the 1890s.

Early-20th Century (1900-20)

We also see it in the 1900s, but the convention of younger boys wearing dresses rapidly declined in the 1900s, even boy-styles dresses. And it was no longer common by the 1910s to see even younger boys wearing dresses beyond infancy.

Created: 5:50 AM 7/27/2012
Last updated: 9:11 AM 11/19/2015