Figure 1.-- This is a cabinet card photograph of three children, presumably siblings. They are identified on the back as Dale, Winnie and Alta. Unfortunately we do not kmow heir last name. We are not entirely sure of their headwear but they may be tams. Their brother wears a sailor jacket with alarge ruffled collar. The portrait is undated, but it is a new style mount we believe taken in the 1900s decade. The studio is Smith in Rodenurg, Oregon.

Berets and Tams (Tam O'Shanter) are related garments. A tam is essentially a larger, flouncy beret. They both have the same European origins which seems to have dated to ancient times. And the tam is obviously related to the beret. In fact American girls wearing berets in the early-20th century called them tams. My mother born in 1913 always called berets tams. The tam was like the beret popular with Americam girls, especially during the 1910s and 20s. Tams were much more popular with girls than boys. Only younger American boys wore tams and berets. We see many more American girls wearing them. Interestingly French girls did not wear berets, although we are less sure about tams. Tams were very popular with American girls. And we see girls of all ages wearing them, including teenagers. Age conventions varied over time. We are not sure when girls began eearing tams, probably the 1890s. They seem most popular in the 1910s and 20s. We see berets, but fewer large tams by the late-1920s. We are also not sure about the colors, but most seem to have been dark colors, probably navy blue or black. And we do not have much information about the wearing conventions. I am not sure if they were the choice when dressing up. Tams were widely worn to school. We never see berets in the same numbers as tams.

Created: 6:02 PM 3/8/2019
Last updated: 6:02 PM 3/8/2019