Figure 1.--Here we see a stylish mother and child. Notice the mother's black lace mantilla. This may be a regional Pomeranian fashion. The child is probably a girl, but we are not positive. The child wears a dress with a lace collar. The diagonal pattern is similar to plaid. The CDV portait is not dates, but the lace collar suggests the 1880s. The studio was in Coeslin (Koszalin/Köslin), at the time the largest city of Middle Pomerania, a part of the German Empire. The subjects are not names, but we suspect they are German. After World War II, Coeslin was transferred to Poland. The German population flked or were expelled. They were replaced by Poles, many were Poles expelled by the Soviets from the area of eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union.

German girls wore the same garment types as other European girls. Headwear was mostly hats. German girls wore dresses in the 19th century. Blouses and skirts were also worn, but we are not entirely sure yet just how common they were. A few girls may have worn other garments, but the photographic record suggests that it was rare. And girls continued wearing mostly dresses and skirts in the first half of the 20th century as well. German girls wore a wide range of different dress styles. Trends tend to morror fashion changes for women's clothes. We notice changes in necklines, bodices, sleeves, waistlines, and hems. The only major difference is that girls might have shorter hems. Sailor styles as with the boys were especially popular in Germany, but were only one of many different styles. We have several gender page in the HBC German section. We have a German lace collar gender page. This complicates our garment section somewhat because elements like collars and sleeves are found on both dresses and blouses/shirts. Some garments, especially hosiery and footwear was the same or identical. The virtually universal fashion of wearing dresses only begun to change after World War I. We first see girls wearing other garments in the early-20th century when girls began wearing bloomer and romper suit outfits for school gym classes. We later see girls wearing short pants for Hitler Youth athletic activities, but the official uniform was a blouse and skirt with a jacket added during cold weayher. radually we begin to see them wearing other kinds of pants. At the end of the World War II we even see a few girls wearing long pants, mostly during the winter for warmth. We gradually see girls wearing shorts or long pants, but this was at first only for casual or play activities. Still girls mostly wore dresses. We do not see major changes until the 1960s, especially the late-60s as jeans began to become popular with teenagers, both boys and girls. This was when a kind of pan-European fashion began to develop.

Headwear

Germam girls' headwear was mostly hats in the 19th century. This became more varied in the 20th century. After mid-century, headwear became less common except for winterwear.

Bows

Bows were popular with girls. Around the turn-of-the 20th century, we see some boys wearing them, but not nearly to the extent that we see in America and several other countries. Mostly they were worn by girls. The most populsr type of bow for girls was the hair bow. We are just beginning our assessment of German hair bows. Our initial assessment is that that they were most common in the early-20th century. But we continue to see them in the 1930s, although mostly for yonger girls, especially after they joined the Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM--Girls' Hitler Youth Organization). This was apparently considered too frivolus for the Hitler Youth. BDM membership wass required by law when they turned 10 years of age. The younger BDM girls might wear little bows on their pig tails , but not the big bows on their head.

Skirted Garments

German girls wore dresses in the 19th century. We only have detailed information from mid-century with the appearance of CDVs (1860s). This of course was a century-old tradition. German girls wore a wide range of different dress styles. Girls' trends tend to mirror fashion changes for women's clothes. We notice changes in necklines, bodices, sleeves, waistlines, and hems. These can be followed in the photographic record. The only major difference is that girls might have shorter hems. Blouses and skirts were also worn, but we are not entirely sure yet just how common they were. A few girls may have worn other garments, but the photographic record suggests that it was rare. Of course as dresses were seen as more formal, this provably in part reflects that people essed up fpr studio portraits. This continued to be the case throughout the remainder of the 19th century. And girls continued wearing mostly dresses and skirts in the first half of the 20th century as well. School portraits which becme a well-established tradition provide detailed evidence of fashion trends in the 20th century. We see many girls wearing pinafores to school. Smocks were not common. We also have snaphots which reflect actual usage more than studio portraits. Sailor styles as with the boys were especially popular in Germany, but were only one of many different styles.

Shirts and Blouses

We have several gender page in the HBC German section. We have a German lace collar gender page. This complicates our garment section somewhat because elements like collars and sleeves are found on both dresses and blouses/shirts.

Pants

The virtually universal fashion of wearing dresses only begun to change after World War I. We first see girls wearing other garments in the early-20th century when girls began wearing bloomer and romper suit outfits for school gym classes. We later see girls wearing short pants for Hitler Youth athletic activities, but the official uniform was a blouse and skirt with a jacket added during cold weayher. radually we begin to see them wearing other kinds of pants. At the end of the World War II we even see a few girls wearing long pants, mostly during the winter for warmth. We gradually see girls wearing shorts or long pants, but this was at first only for casual or play activities. Still girls mostly wore dresses. We do not see major changes until the 1960s, especially the late-60s as jeans began to become popular with teenagers, both boys and girls. This was when a kind of pan-European fashion began to develop.

Hosiery

ome garments, especially hosiery and footwear was the same or identical.

Footwear

Created: 2:32 AM 9/14/2011
Last updated: 12:24 AM 7/17/2015