Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified girl from Peterborough, New Hampshore wearing short hair and a stylish dress. The cabinent card portrait was taken in 1889. This child looks very boyish, but we think it unlikely a boy this age woyld be wearing a dress, although it was not unknown.

American girls like girls in other countries wore dresses throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. We do not know a great deal about dresses at this time. We believe dress styles were largely set in Europe throughout the 19h century. We do not, however, know to what extent American and European dress styles varied. We want to develop information on fashion trends over time. We also want to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles. This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. Not only did girls wear dresses in the 19th century, but so did younger boys. Girls continued to wear dresses in the 20th century. Only after World War II do we commonly see girls wearing other garments. We begin to see girls wearing pants in the 1920s and 30s, especialy the 30s. But this was mostly in casual situations, like playing around the house and a summer camps. Only in the 1960s do we see girls commonly wearing pants. Here American girls led the way for a trend that would be followed in ther countries. Gradually in the 20th century it became popular for girls to wear boys' styles like shirts and jeans. In sharp contrast to the 19th century, boys' did not wear girls' styles.

Headwear

Girls very commonly wore headwear in the 19th century. This became less common in the 20th century, especially the second half of the 20th century. We notice girls wearing a wide range of hats. The styles varies over time, but many styles were variation on sailor wide-brimmed hats. Age was less important than was the case for boys. We notice the most simple up to the rediculously elabotate. Hats coukd be lrge and elaborate in the late-19th and very early-20th centuty. Here there was a complication with hair stles as girls like to showcase their hair. There were also caps, but hats were more common. Some hats such as rounded-crown hats were similar to boys hsats, but the styles and decoration were mostly different. One style of caps worn by boys and girls were stocking caps. Often girls worn fancier stocking caps or caps of a different color , but often they wore the same styles as the boys. We notice girls of all ages wearing berets in the first half of the 20th century. Only very young boys wore berts.

Skirted Garments

American girls like girls in other countries wore dresses throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. We do not know a great deal about dresses at this time. We believe dress styles were largely set in Europe throughout the 19h century. We do not, however, know to what extent American and European dress styles varied. We want to develop information on fashion trends over time. We also want to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles. This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. Not only did girls wear dresses in the 19th century, but so did younger boys. We notice many different styles of dresses. Girls continued to wear dresses in the 20th century. Only after World War II do we commonly see girls wearing other garments. Of course girls still wear fresses, but for many girls, dresses have become a less important even minor garments, reserved for dress up occassions. Other skirted garments girls wore included skirts and pinafores. Pinafores were widely worn in the 19th and early 20th century. Skirts becane a major style for girls and are still widely worn. Some skirted garments were primarily for boys, including kilts and tunics.

Suits Jackets

Suits were a man's garment. We do not see women wearing them until the mid-20th century and girls havev never worn suits. ackets were more of boy's garment than a girl's garment. Thev one exception was school blazers, but this was more of a British than a girl's fashion. This was true in both America and Europe. This was especially true in the 19th century. One jacket we see girl's wearing was the cut-away or bolero jacket. There were other names for these jackets, especially the versions for girls and women. Girls wore them over blouses nd dress bodies. The jackets for boys and girls larglly disappeared at the turn-of-the 20th century. They have continued to be a fashionble garment for womn in the 20th century. We see girls wearing jackets in the 20th century. Not as much as boys, but we see some. They were mostly a casual oiter garment worn in cool weather.

Coats and Jackets

Coats are the primary cold weather garment. They were worn by both boys and girls in the 19th century. Styles could vary. Double-breasted styling was popular. Styles could be similar for both genders, although the buttoning side varied. Some of the girls' coats could be decorated which was not the case for boys. Overcoats extending to the calf were very common and this included the children. It should be noted that much more of the American population lived in the northern states than in the 20th centyry. This made coats vdry important harments. The shift south was not notable until after World War II (1941-45). A major factor in this sgift was the development of airv conditioning. Until after World War II, air conditioning was only available to the public to any extent in movie theaters. As the 20th century developed we begin ton see graetervinfiormality and children in particular began wearing jackets instead of coats, the primary difference being the lenghth. This trend was tghe same for bioth boys and girls, the primary difference being colors.

Blouses and Shirts

Blouses have been a major garment for women and girls. This has change over time. We are not sure how common blouses were for girls in the 19th century. We mostly see girls and women wearing dresses. in the photographic record. But this could skewed as people's endency to dress up for studio portraits which constituted the great bulk of the photography during the 19th century. We do see more girls wearing blouses by the 1890s. We also see many boys wearing blouses in the 19th century, actually moe boys than girls. This all changed after the turn-of-the 20th century. Boys began shifting from blouses to shirts. And the bkouse by the 1920s begabn to become primarily a girl's garment. .

Rompers

Gender conventions for most garments were very similar in different countries. Rompers were different. Romper usage varied a gread deal from country to country. French rompers were only for boys, at least until recent times. We begin to see some girls wearing them in the 1970s. We are not yet sure about Britain. American rompers were worn by both boys and girls, at least in the early years. Unfants of both genders wore the. We see some younger Amnerican boys wearing rompers (1920s), but they soon became primarily a grls' garment. We see girls wearing them for gym and at sumer camp. They also becamne a casual garment for summer rather like short pants. Some bathing suits were done as romper suits. With girls we mostly see romper suits. Bib-front rompers do not seem very common. They varied in popularity over time. We no longer see them commony by the 1980s, although we are still working on a more precise chronology. We still see very young children wearing them because they are helpful for children still waerong diappers. .

Pants

Strangely given modern standards, younger boys in the 19th century might wear dresses and other skirted garmnts garments, but girls never wore pants. This did not begin to change to any extent until after World War I in the 1920s. we are not entirely sure of just what brought this change about after centuries of wearing only skirted garments. The most obvious development was WorLd War with its bringing practicality to the fore and women entering the factory work force in unprecedent numbers. We also note younger children, both bys anf girls, being dressed in rompers. The Girl Scouts may have been a factor, especially summer camping. Girls at camp were more likely to weqr pants, at first romprs and shorts. For whatever reason, we begin to see girls wearing pants in the 1920s and 30s, especialy the 30s. But this was mostly in casual situations, like playing around the house and at summer camps. We do not see girls commonly wearing pants to school. One might recall Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird set in the 1930s having to wear a dress to school. Now it was not all that common for a girl to only wear pants at home, but Scout had a brother and had lost her mother. But it certainly was the case that few girls showed up at school wearing pants. And the few examples we see are a low income rural schools. World War II had an even greater impact on American life. Women again entered the factory work force and in much larger numbers than in World War I. Again practicalitty came into play. You even begin to see Holloywood startlets wearing pants, albeit glamerous ones. Only in the 1960s, however, do we see girls commonly wearing pants. We see girls beginning to wearing them to school, but not yet to church. Here American girls led the way for a trend that would be followed in other countries. Gradually in the 20th century it became popular for girls to wear boys' styles like shorts and jeans. There was no reciprosity here. In sharp contrast to the 19th century, boys' did not wear girls' styles.

Decorative Garments

Girls wore a variety of decorative items. They included bows, lace collars, sashes, leading strings, and other items. Girls were especally fond of bows. hair bows could be huge. And they could be placed on geadwear, dresses and shoes. Girls also wore collar bows. A good example of a girl wearing a sash is an unidentified Oregon girl wears a huhe tartan sash with her tartan dress along with a pin-on lace collar.

Jewelry

Support Garments

Hosiery

Hosiery for women and girls in the 18th is difficult to assess because dress lengths were so long and of course there was no photography. We have more information on the 19th century, but not for the early-19th century. The popular Empire dress styles were very long and there was still no photography. Hem lines began to gradually rise, especially for children. Legs were modestly covered by pantalettes so we still don't have a lot of information on hosiery. The invention of photographt in France (1839) meant that details on garments are for the first time available in substantial numbers. This was especially true of America where the photographic industry quickly surpased that of any European country. Children in America commonly wore wore long stockings, both boys and girls. The only major exception was the many children going barefoot. Socks were not very common. At the turn if the 20th century we still see mostly long stockings. Black long stockings were common, but girls and younger boys might wear white long stockings. After World War (1914-18) in the 1920s we begin to see socks along with long stockings. By the 1930s we still see socks and long stockings, but socks were becoming more popular, both knee socks and ankle socks which wwere worn by both boys and girls. After World War II (1939-45) we see fewer boys wearing knee socks, but they were very popular with girls. By the 1960s knee socks were becoming primarily a girl's garment. Color was a major factor in hosiery differences. Girl's knee socks could be very colorful.

Footwear

Other Items

We notice girls wearing blacl lace fingerless gloves when dressing up in the mid-19th centry. a good example is three Civil War sisters in the 1860s.

Created: 1:37 AM 4/19/2009
Last updated: 12:19 AM 4/16/2024