Figure 1.--Here two English teenage girls are paddling with their baby brother or sister along with the family pooch. One girl wears a tam, the other a wide-brimmed hst. Both weair dresses a pinfores. One girl wears a white pinafore, the other a colored ome. We are not sure how to date the phoogrph. We would guess the 1890s, but are not at all sure. We do know where he photgraph was tken--in the Deben River at Woodbridge in Suffolk. It is located near Ipswich and is close to the most important Anglo-Saxon site Britain--the Sutton Hoo burial ship. The Anglo Saxon invasions began in Kent and Aast Anglia It was up rivers and inlets like this that thecAnglo Saxons landed.

English girls like girls in other counties almost entirely wore dresses and skirts. These were the two most common garments for girls. We have a very substantial photograohic record to draw from. The 19th century photographic record suggest that dresses were by far the dominant garment for girls. We are not, however, sure how accurate this is. Portrait were the dominant type of 19th century photographs, although we have some portaits outside the studio to see what girls wore when not dressed up. We see mostly dresses. Mothers may have outfitted their daughters in their best outfits for the portraits which meant dresses. Skirts are not strongly represented in the 19th century photographic record. Skirt outfits may have been worn more commonly than is reflected in the photographic record. In the 20h century we see far more girls wearing skirts. This may mean that skirts were more common, but it may only mean that the explossion of amateur photography wih Kodak Brownie and other systems mean that the photographic record was no longer based just on studio images. We see all kinds of family snapshots around home and the photographic record is much more a reflection of everyday life and the clothes the children wore when not dressed up. School photography is also a good indicator of popular styles, although pinfore were so common that we often do not see what the girls are wearing underneath. Dresses were for many years commonly worn with pinafores. This was the case in the 19th and early-20th century. We see rompers/bloomers for school gym class. They may have also been worn by the Girl Guides. Dresses continued, however, to be the standard girls' garment. This did not begin to change to any extent until after World War II. We also see English girls wearing pinafores in the 19th and early-20 centuries.

Dresses

We mostly see English girls wearing dresses in paintings and beginning in the 19th century, the photographic record. In the early-19th century before photography, the Empire style for dresses was popular. Girls at the time wore small-sized vrsions of thir mother's dresses. At the time boys were wearing skeleton suits and tunics. The photographic record is our primarily source of information. Photographic information begins with the invention of the Daguerreotype (1839). Unlike America, however, we do not begin to see large numbers of images until the advent of the (1860s). Mothers seem to have outfitted their daughters in their best outfits for the portraits which meant dresses. Thus dresses are probanly over emphasized just usung the photograohic record. It is then that we begin to see vast numbers of images. We see many differet types and styles which of course change with fashion trends over time. And at mid-century we begin to see shiorter dresses for girls. There were new styles for sleeves. One was down to the wrist with a cuff. Another was done between the elbow wrist with an under sleeve sewn onto the sleeve, with cuff. Collars varied widely. Younger children commonly had no collars and even off the shoulder styles. Some collars were simple, others were very elavorate. Lace was a common decorative device. Buttons might be used from top to waist. There were dresses with defined ad undefined wausrlines. One popular style was sailor dresses which followed the popularity of sailor suits for boys. Dresses throughout the 19th century continued to be the standard girls' garment. This did not begin to change to any extent until after World War II.

Skirts

Skirts are not strongly represented in the 19th century photographic record. Skirt outfits may have been worn more commonly than is reflected in the photographic record. In the 20h century we see far more girls wearing skirts. This may mean that skirts were more common, but it may only mean that the explossion of amateur photography wih Kodak Brownie and other systems mean that the photographic record was no longer based just on studio images. We see all kinds of family snapshots around home and the photographic record is much more a reflection of everyday life and the clothes the children wore when not dressed up.

Smocks

We see smocks in England, but they do not seem nearly as common as on the Continent. This was especially the case for vboys, but also true for girls. This my be in part because poinfores were so commonly worn.

Pinafores

We also see English girls wearing pinafores in the 19th and early-20 centuries. Dresses were for many years commonly worn with pinafores. They were so common that unfortunately we often do not see what the girls are wearing underneath. This was the case in the 19th and early-20th century. Studio photography is not a good indicator as to how common pinafores were. School photography in contrast is a good indicator of popular styles. Unfotunately we do not get large numberss of school images until the late-19th century. We think pinafores were common before that, but have only limited information. But by the late-19th century we do have images and we see large numbers of girls wearing pinafores. We see countless school portaits in which virtually all the girls are wearing white pinafores. It was virtually a uniform, but noit required by the school. It was just what English girls wore at the time. They seem to have been a standard part of everyday dress. Not only for school, but also after school as well. We believe that pinafores were common into the early-20th century until ad=fter World War I. They seem to have disappeared in the 1920s. We are not sure just why. It was a garment that had been worn for dedcades, but then suddenly disappeared.

Rompers

We see rompers/bloomers for school gym class. They may have also been worn by the Girl Guides.

Created: 11:40 AM 9/18/2017
Last updated: 4:11 AM 9/9/2020