Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified girl wearing a plaid dress with a lace collar and huge sash. We see both boys and girls wearung plaid skirted garments. The cabinet card portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1890s. The studio was Eastman at various locations in Oregon and Washington.

Plaid was a popular pattern for both boys and girls. It was especilly popular for boys' dresses because of the association with Scottish kilts worn by men. But girls also liked plaid. We think the chronology for girls' plaid dresses is the same as that for the boys, but we can not yet confirm that. We do not know about the early 19th century. Buy beginning with the tome photography appeared (1840s), we see girls wearing plaid dresses. So it is not a gender indicator. We also see plenty of images of girls wearing wearing plaid dresses in the early-20th century, although plaid skirts gradually emerged as the most common plaid garment for girls. Eventually a plaid skirt in the 20th century would become a staple in girl's fashion and especially popular for school wear.

Created: 8:15 AM 12/26/2017
Last updated: 8:15 AM 12/26/2017