Coordinated Family Outfits: Family Relationships


Figure 1.-- Here two siblings dressed in matching sailor outfits. Unfortunately the photograph was taken in the 1930s, but the early 1940s seems possible. We also do not know about the origin, but the context seems Eastern European. One reader suggests Hungary or Poland. Russian would seem a possibility, but not the white string ties on the sailor scarves. That is a German touch. The boy looks about 4 years old and the girl 7-8 years old. Every detail ofthe outfits is the same except the beret that the boy wears and of course the boy wears shorts and the girl a skirt. Even the button-on arrangements are the same. he length of the long stockings make me think that the photo can't be much older than 1935.

A variety of factors affected the fashion nof dressing children in a family in identidal or coordinated outfits. One of these was the family relationships involved. Dressing children alike varied from family to family and was affected by the number, relationship, and age of the children. Twins most commonly have been dressed alike. Usually this style was for twin brothers or twin sisters. However, in many cases fraternal brother and sister twins were dressed alike. This appears to have been a popular fashion dating back to earliest available photographic images. Dressing twins alike is still a common fashion today, although sometimes as they get older they like to dress differently. Mothers also liked to dress brothers alike, even if they were not twins. This sometimes created complications, especially if the boys were not about the same age. The older brother may have objected as many mothers did not want to dress little boys in big boy clothes. Thus the outfits chosen were often the ones suitable for the youngest brother--to the displeasure of the older boy. Often mothers would choose the same basic outfit, but make minor changes to recognize the age of the older boy. Other mothers insisted on dressing all the boys exactly alike. Sometimes mothers chose to dress all of the children in the family identically, even children of different ages and genders. Some mothers in the late 19th and early 20th century had quite large families and all of the children in identical or similar outfits was quite a striking site. This practice was most common in the late 19th century. Some mothers would actually choose identical or similar outfits. More common was some clothing differences based on gender or age, but having the children wear pinafores and often for boys--smocks. This gave the entire family, both the boys and girls alike, a common look. This allowed mothers to given the children a common look--even though the boys and girls wore different clothes under their smocks.

Twins

Twins most commonly have been dressed alike. Usually this style was for twin brothers or twin sisters. However, in many cases fraternal brother and sister twins were dressed alike. This appears to have been a popular fashion dating back to earliest available photographic images. Dressing twins alike is still a common fashion today, although sometimes as they get older they like to dress differently.

Brothers

Mothers also liked to dress brothers alike, even if they were not twins. This sometimes created complications, especially if the boys were not about the same age. The older brother may have objected as many mothers did not want to dress little boys in big boy clothes. Thus the outfits chosen were often the ones suitable for the youngest brother--to the displeasure of the older boy. Often mothers would choose the same basic outfit, but make minor changes to recognize the age of the older boy. Other mothers insisted on dressing all the boys exactly alike.

Family Outfits

Sometimes mothers chose to dress all of the children in the family identically, even children of different ages and genders. Some mothers in the late 19th and early 20th century had quite large families and all of the children in identical or similar outfits was quite a striking site. This practice was most common in the late 19th century. Some mothers would actually choose identical or similar outfits. More common was some clothing differences based on gender or age, but having the children wear pinafores and often for boys--smocks. This gave the entire family, both the boys and girls alike, a common look. This allowed mothers to given the children a common look--even though the boys and girls wore different clothes under their smocks.

Brothers and Sisters

Another fashionable combination which some mothers elected was to dress brothers and sisters alike. Usually this was done with an older sister and younger brother-but not always. But in some cases the outfit of an older brother was coordinated with that of his younger sister. There has been a major shift in this style. At first it involved dressing the boy anf girl in similar girls clothes: dresses, frocks, and smocks. It has rarely meant dressing them in similar boys clothes, but in more recent years the outfits have been coordinated in many ways.







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Created: 5:58 AM 2/3/2011
Last updated: 5:58 AM 2/3/2011