Figure 1.--Blouses worn with skirts were a popular style for older teenagers and young women in the early 20th century. Here we see sisters (I think) Licett, Lilian, and Blanche in 1913 with little brother Maynard in the background on crutches. Notice how long the skirts were. The snapshot seems to have been taken in Michigan.

Skirts are of course closely relted to dresses, bring the bottom half or the portion of the dress below the waistline. Garment waislines are not ncesarily the same and atonomival wistlines. We do not jave a great deal of information about skirts as a separate garment yet. The word first appeared in Middle English during the 13th century, a word acquired from Norse. We seem to note dresses more commonly in the 19th century photographic record than blouses and skirts. We are not sure to what extent prevelence in the 19th century reflected actual prevalence in the dress of girls and women. We think it is possible that dresses were chosen for studio portraits because of the convention of dressing up in your best clothes. And dresses were consudered more foirmal than skirts. Both girls and younger boys wore skirted garments inclluding skirts s in the 19th century. We are not sure if there were any gender conventions associated with skirts. Were boys more likely to wear skirts than dresses. Of course here there is a complication because boys did commonly wear kilted outfits and kilts are essentially skirts. Thus was espcislly the case of the skirted garments wiorn as part of kilt sysuits. The kilts worn with kilt suits were more skirts than Highland kilts, especiallyb in America where kilt suits were especially common. We do tend to notice skirts more commonly in the 1890s, but more with young women than girls. That is just an initial assessment at this time. The skirt appears much more common after the turn of the 20th century. The photographic record can be seen as more relective of zctual fashion prevalence than the 19th century because of the prominance of the snapshot bginning at the turn-of-the 20th century. The Kodak Briowine made it possible fior the average person to take photographs. Thus we see photigraphs where ever people went and not just in the studio. The skirt became a staple for girls after World War I and we note girls commonly wearing both dresses and skirts to school. And school photography provides a massive recird of fashion trends. Suspender skirts became a popular style. The plaid skirt became a school fashion staple. We have just begun to work on country trends. We have an American skirt page.

Chracteristics

Skirts are of course closely relted to dresses, bring the bottom half or the portion of the dress below the waistline. Garment waislines are not ncesarily the same and atonomival wistlines.

Origins

We do not jave a great deal of information about skirts as a separate garment yet. The word first appeared in Middle English during the 13th century, a word acquired from Norse.

Chronology

We do not yet have much early history on skirts. We seem to note dresses more commonly in the 19th century photographic record than blouses and skirts. We are not sure to what extent prevelence in the 19th century reflected actual prevalence in the dress of girls and women. We think it is possible that dresses were chosen for studio portraits because of the convention of dressing up in your best clothes. And dresses were considered more formal than skirts. We do tend to notice skirts more commonly in the 1890s, but more with young women than girls. That is just an initial assessment at this time. The skirt appears much more common after the turn of the 20th century. The photographic record can be seen as more relective of actual fashion prevalence than the 19th century because of the prominance of the snapshot bginning at the turn-of-the 20th century. The Kodak Briowine made it possible fior the average person to take photographs. Thus we see photographs where ever people went and not just in the studio. The skirt became a staple for girls after World War I and we note girls commonly wearing both dresses and skirts to school. And school photography provides a massive recird of fashion trends. Suspender skirts became a popular style. The plaid skirt became a school fashion staple.

Gender

Both girls and younger boys wore skirted garments inclluding skirts s in the 19th century. We are not sure if there were any gender conventions associated with skirts. Were boys more likely to wear skirts than dresses.

Klts

Of course here there is a complication because boys did commonly wear kilted outfits and kilts are essentially skirts. Thus was espcislly the case of the skirted garments wiorn as part of kilt sysuits. The kilts worn with kilt suits were more skirts than Highland kilts, especiallyb in America where kilt suits were especially common.

Countrus

We have just begun to work on skirt country trends. We have an American skirt page.

Created: 11:26 PM 12/7/2005
Last updated: 3:48 AM 10/5/2009