Figure 1.-- Here we see an 1896 Georgia school prtrait show three 3rd grade girls wearing the fashionable prominent ballon sleeve dresses, one girl with a pinafore. Notice that all three have the award ribbon that several of the chikldren wear. Their fashionable teacher wears an even larger version of this fashion.

Prominent baloon sleeves (expanded upper arms) dresses were popular and destinctive feature of 1890s, but this varied during the decade becoming especially notable at mid-decade. This was not just an Anerican feature, but popular in Europe as well. The on the previous page is a example, but because of the pose not very notable. The school girls here at a Georgia school in 1896b are a much better example (figurev 1). One girl covers her dress with a protective white pinafore. These large baloon sleeves are a very helpful fashion that can be used to reliably date undated cabinet cards. Of course the absence of this element does not mean the portrait was not taken in the 1890s, but its presence is a very reliable indicator that it was. It is especially relable for women's fashions, less true for girls. This was probably because school dresses tended to be plainer and more likely to be home sewed than those for fashionable adult women as we can see with the chikdren's fashionable teacher.

Created: 3:31 AM 9/28/2023
Last updated: 3:31 AM 9/28/2023