Figure 1.--This illustration from a 1884 French fashion magazine shows two children in dresses. The one on the right with short hair and sailor hat is definitely a boy. Note the elaborate sash worn with his dress. |
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Sashes were sometimes worn with the dresses worn by girls and little boys throughout the 19th century and even the early part of the 20th century. They were an important design element of many dresses, especially the more formal party frocks. The sashes varied in color, material, size, style, and how it was tied. The color of the sashes may have indicated the gender of the child. Some authors, however, insist that modern gender color conventions had not yet developed. Boys as well as girls, for example, both might wear blue sashes. Some dresses for boys were more plain than those designed for girls. Thus a sash was often a important design element adding a bit of color or embellishment to the drees. Some sashes might contrast with the color of the dress such as a plaid or colored sash on a white dress or a white sash on a colored dress. Other sashes might be the same color as the dress. I'm unsure as to what extent colored sashes were worn with colored dresses and what specific colors were the most popular during different periods. There were a range of other pertinent characteristics, including material, sizes, styles, and tieing.
Sashes were sometimes worn with the dresses worn by girls and little boys throughout the 19th century and even the early part of the 20th century. We do not see them with plain dresses, but they were often used with party dresses or other instances when girls dressed up formally. We do not see a lot of dresss with sashes,but we have noted some. A good example is a Surbiton girl in 1890. Her brothers are wearing sailor suits with Eton collas.
They were an important design element of many dresses, especially the more formal party frocks.
Some dresses for boys were more plain than those designed for girls. Thus a sash was often a important design element adding a bit of color or embellishment to the dress.
The sashes varied in color, material, size, style, and how it was tied.
The color of the sashes may have indicated the gender of the child. Some
authors, however, insist that modern gender color conventions had not yet developed. Boys as well as girls, for example, both might wear blue sashes.
Some sashes might contrast with the color of the dress such as a plaid or colored sash on a white dress or a white sash on a colored dress. Other sashes might be the same color as the dress. I'm unsure as to what extent colored sashes were worn with colored dresses and what specific colors were the most popular during different periods. White dresses were popular for boys. We note them being worn for formal portraits with colored sashes. A good example is two Muncie boys in the 1870s.
The sash was generaly made of a somewhat stiffer material with a finer finish from that of the dress itself. Thus the most common material for sashes were silkn or satin.
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The sizes of waist sashes varied greatly. Some were quite copious
lengths of material, ebcircling the waist and hanging down thevlength
of the dress. Dress length varied, but what ever the fashion, the sash
rarely was allowed to fall below the hem of the dress. Other sashes were more
narrow and a less obtrusive design element.
The style of the sashes also varried. The width of the sash cloth,
the cut, fringe, and weave are all factors to be chsen by the mother.
Many, but not all sashes appear to have been fringed.
Sashes were often tied into large bows at the side or back. Back ties were most popular for girls'
dresses, but were also employed on boys dresses. More common for boys
were side sash ties. The sash was worn so that it hung unevenly, one
end longev than the other. Several different types of knots were
used for tieing the sash. The popularity of the knots varieed somewhay has to
wether the sash was front or side tieing. Some sashes, especially the back tieing ones, were
tied into a bow.
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