*
U.S. United States American boys clothes children's overalls gender
American Children's Overalls and Jeans: Gender
Figure 1.--This is a family in Thurston County, Washington during 1939. The children look to be about 7-14 years old. Dorothea Lange, thephotographer, points out that the children are sharing their bicycle. The photograph seems to gave something to do wuth authoress Jeannette Walls. The boy is wearing what wethink are knickers and the manner in which the waist is cinched with a belt it is obvious that the pants are a bit too big for him (hand me downs I think). Also we see he is wearing putties (I believe they are called). And the sister next to him is wearing bibbed jeans overalls. We suspect they too are hand-me-downs.
Women did not wear pants in the 19th cenury with very few exceptions suchbas Amelia Bloomer and her broomers (1850s). She had little imoact on the world of fashion, except that girls in secondary school began wearing bloomers with long stockinfs for gym class (late-19th century). Or Annie Smith Peck wearuing knickers to climb the Matterhorn (1895). Overalls were invented by Levi Straus. Garments that look like overalls first appeared in a painting (1839). This comincided with the invention of photography, but the photograopgic record is incomplete. Most photographs were studio poertaits in which people dressed up. Vurtually no one showed up at a studion in overalls--certainly not women a girls. Overalls were worn by miners and factoey worners and were not done in denim. Ldvi Straus changed that wgebn he began foing them in blue denim and adding cippertivets for strength (1870s). They were not worn by children. We can see thzat in dchool photigraphy. Boys let alone girls did not wear them to school. We do not even know to what extent farmers wore them. Again farmers dressed up to have portait taken. As best we can tell, farm women did not wear them even at home on the farm. Of coutse this does not mean that there were no farm women and girls wearing them, in the 19th century. It seems likely that it was not common. We do not see this chanhing until the 20th century. Children even rural children dressed up for school. This does not begin to chsnbg until the turn of the century. All of a sudden about 1908 we see chilldren at small rural schools beginning to wear overalls to school. Almost always this was the boys, not the girls and almost always at rural schools. Several developments in the early-20th century. The Girl Scouts were founded (1912). And when summer camps were founded, the girls began wearing rompers and shorts. The same thing occurred. And then with World War I, women began working in factories. Overalls appeared for younger children as play garments. We begin to see girls wsearing overalls (1930s), but some, mostly rural girls. They were a work or play garment. But pants negan to appear in high fasgion--led by Coco Chanel and some Hollywood stars. Overalls generally dusappered for rural schools as school desticts began opening consolidated schools and bussing rural children., Wwomen returned f=to factories diring World War Ii and often wire overalls. By the 1950s girls negan wraring jeans without the nibs. They were not at first allowed in schools, especially secondary schools. This began to change in the 1960s and by the 1970s, jeans became fashionable with the birth od designer jeans (1970s).
The 19th Century
Women did not wear pants in the 19th cenury with very few exceptions suchbas Amelia Bloomer and her broomers (1850s). She had little imoact on the world of fashion, except that girls in secondary school began wearing bloomers with long stockinfs for gym class (late-19th century). Or Annie Smith Peck wearuing knickers to climb the Matterhorn (1895). Overalls were invented by Levi Straus. Garments that look like overalls first appeared in a painting (1839). This comincided with the invention of photography, but the photograopgic record is incomplete. Most photographs were studio poertaits in which people dressed up. Virtually no one showed up at a studio in overalls to have their portarit taken -- certainly not fashionable women and girls. Overalls were worn by miners and factoey worners and were not done in denim. Levi Straus changed that when he began foing them in blue denim and adding copper rivets for strength (1870s). Levi Straus did not have women in mind ehen he came out with the first pair of denim overalls. They were not only not commonly worn by women and children. We can see that in school photigraphy. Boys let alone girls did not wear them to school. We do not even know to what extent farmers wore them. Again farmers dressed up to have portait taken. As best we can tell, farm women did not wear them even at home on the farm. Of coutse this does not mean that there were no farm women and girls wearing them, in the 19th century. It seems likely that it was not common. Levi Straus says, however, in their history posts. "During the 1870s and 1880s, women's fashion was focused on the cumbersome bustle silhouette. Still, that didn't stop plenty of rebellious females from adopting men's Levi's to ride horses, work on farms, or engage in other physical activities long before fashion magazines or mainstream Western society deemed them as appropriate." We suspect that the number of rebellious was very limited, but they wiykd niot gave showed up in the nostly studio photography.
The 20th Century
We do not gendera attitudes tiward overalls/jeans changing until the 20th century. Children even rural children dressed up for school. This does not begin to change until the turn of the century. All of a sudden about 1908 we see chilldren at small rural schools beginning to wear overalls to school. Almost always this was the boys, not the girls and almost always at rural schools. Several developments in the early-20th century. The Girl Scouts were founded (1912). And when summer camps were founded, the girls began wearing rompers and shorts. The same thing occurred. And then with World War I, women began working in factories. Overalls appeared for younger children as play garments. Levi Strauss was the first company to capitalize on the changes. They introduced line of women's garments called 'Freedom-Alls', a one-piece garments that consisted of cotton tunics connected to balloon pants. According to Levis Strauss, "The name celebrated the end of World War I and the freedom of movement the garment provided for women who, in the words of the advertisement, could use them for 'work or recreation'." [Paneck] They were a work or play garment. But pants negan to appear in high fasgion--led by Coco Chanel and some Hollywood stars began ewearing loosely cut pants (1920s). Levi Strauss began selling khaki hiking togs and jackets for women (1922). Their classic overalls jeans were still only made for men. We begin to see girls wearing overalls (1930s), but ostly rural girls (1930s). More importantly Hollywood went on a cowboy craze. And the cowboys appearing on the Silver Screen were wearing jeans, not bib-front overalls, but denim jeans. Levi's acciding to the compamy became 'synonymous with the stylish image of the American cowboy in the 1930s'. Accordung to the company, "... the world became fascinated by [American] Western movies and the rugged looks donned by stars like John Wayne and Gary Cooper. Strauss tapped into this cowboy craze by introducing its first line of jeans for women (1934). They were branded as Lady Levi's which altered men's cuts to better fit the female form. Strauss advertising highlighted the brand's connection to life out West. An off shoot of that Hollywood trend was the sudden popularity of the Dude Ranch. And many of the women participating in this new recrational activity wanted to wear denim jeans. The same process was affecting children. We still see rurral children wearing overalls (1930s). You can see that in 1930s school photography. We notice child star Jane Whiters wearing fashionanle pants (1935). The Washington girl here is a good example a girl weaing overalls (figure 1). Overals very quickly disspered very early in the next decade (1940s). You can see that in 1940s school photography. Overalls disappered almost instanteously as rural schools began to close. School districts began opening consolidated schools and bussing rural children. Rural children did not want to wear unfashionale clothing like overalls. Women returned to factories during World War Ii and often wore overalls. Girls by the 1950s girls began wearing jeans without the bibs as casual wear and in elementary (primary) schools. They were not at first allowed in schools, especially secondary schools. This began to change in the 1960s and by the 1970s, jeans became fashionable with the birth od designer jeans (1970s).
