Figure 1.--Alban Jaspar Conant painted the Kellogg children from Old Bennington, Vermont, probably in the 1850s. The girls do not have coordinated clothes, except for the same plain pantalettes. Their hair style, however, appears identical. The boys have their done somewhat similarly, but the part is different. Their clothese are also different, but have some similarities with the same military styling.

There are four different basic alternatives for mothers concerning how to dresstheir children and style their hair. We know for example that some mothers dressed their younger children alike--both boys and girls. Here families differed. Some children were dressed differently and a few identically. Other mothers coordinated outfits in an age graded system. We believe it was less common to style the children's hair alike, but we have noted a few instances where mothers did so. And we are not yet sure how mothers coordinate their hair styling choices with their approach to clothing. There are four basic alternatives. Within each of these basic alternatives we will examine variations among age, gender, clothing and hair styles, countriesand chronological periods..

No Clothing Coordination/No Hair Coordination

Some mothers made no effort to coordinate either the clothes or the hair styles for their children. Here some judgement needs to be used in assessing the images. This is because the age of the children detrmine, in part, how they were dressed--sort of an automatic coordination. What we mean by coordination is some sort of stylistic relationship and not, for example, that the boys all wear kneepants or the girls wear dresses. Some garments like black long stockings were so common in America that they can hardly be called coordinated clothing. In the early 19th century the absence of ready-made clothing complicated clothing coordination, but it was very common in many families--especially among like gender children. Even so large numbers of portraits show no attempt at clothes coordination.

Clothing Coordination/No Hair Coordination

We know for example that some mothers dressed their younger children alike--both boys and girls. This was a very coomon convention for mothrers, especially in the 19th and early 20th century. As families were often large in the 19th centuries, there were often several brothers and sisters about the same age which could have theie clothes coordinated. Here families differed. Some children were dressed differently and a few identically. Other mothers coordinated outfits. There was a wide range of ways in the clothing could be coordinated. Often this was done in an age graded system. For the most part these mothers did not coordinate the hair styles. Of course there could ve vaiations here. Mothers may have done so when the boys were younger.

Clothing Coordination/Hair Coordination

It was very rare for parents to both dress the children in identical outfits and style their hair identically unless they were twins, especially twins of the same gender. Soome what more common was coordinate the clothing and hair styles, but still this was not as common as some of the other alternatives discussed here, but we have noted a few instances where mothers did so. There are many different alternatives here. For example a mother might outfit the boys similarly and then style the younger boy's hair like his sisters. Also some mothers may choose identical and others similar styles, perhaps age greaded in some way. Similarly mothers may select both identical and similar styles sch as ringlet curls with differnt parts.

No Clothing Coordination/Hair Coordination

Some morgers may have used identical hair styles, but not coordinated the clothing. Again this was most common with children of the same gender, especially when they were close in age. Even brothes and sisters might have their hair dine identically when young. Some what more common was to use a similar hair style, but vary some element like how the hair was parted.

Created: November 3, 2002
Last updated: November 7, 2002