Figure 1.--This brother and sister are wearing identical white dresses with long black stockings. Notice the boys short hair in contrast to the dress he is still wearing. The only other difference is the girl's perky hair bow.

A fashionable combination which mothers for penerations have elected has been to dress brothers and sisters alike. Usually this was done with an older sister and younger brother-but not always. In some cases the outfit of an older brother was coordinated with that of his younger sister. HBC has not yet been able to draw chronological trends in the fashion of dressing brothers and sisters in identical or coordinated outfits. To some extent this was affected by breeching. The popularity of coordinating the oiyfits of brother and sisters has varied among countries. HBC has not yet been able to assess national differences in this respect. There has been a major shift in this style. In the 19th Century it involved dressing the boy and 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. This style was generally for younger boys, most commonly boys up to 5 or 6 years old. Brothers and sisters have been dressed in a variety of styles. Usually but not always the girl wears a dress or skirted garment. Boys on the other hand have worn much more diverse garments. Often brothers and sisters wore different garments, but the outfits were corrdinated by being made of the same material. Most commonly these outfits were dresses for the girls and various short pants for the boys. Usually this was for children of approximaetly the same age, or a younger boy and older sister. Usually mothers coordonated the clothing of their boys and girls. Less common was coordinating hair styles. This usually ment letting a boys' hair grow long and not cutting a girls' hair short. This was most common in the late 19th century and early 20th century before World War I (1914-18). When the hair was coordinated, usually the children were dressed differently.

Convention

A fashionable combination which mothers for penerations have elected has been to dress brothers and sisters alike. Usually this was done with an older sister and younger brother-but not always. In some cases the outfit of an older brother was coordinated with that of his younger sister.

Chronology

HBC has not yet been able to draw chronological trends in the fashion of dressing brothers and sisters in identical or coordinated outfits. To some extent this was affected by breeching. Thus it was relatively easy to dress brothers and sisters in coordinated or even identical outfits if the boy had not yet been breeched. Even so we have relatively few examples of this in paintings and photographs. After breeching, boys and girls clothing was so different that there it appears to have been realtively little effort to dress boys and girls in coordinated outfits. This is our initial assessment of 19th century trends and would welcome reader insights. This pattern changed after the turn of the century for two reasons. First, Boys less commonly wiore dresses when small and some of the outfits they did wear like tunics and rompers were ameanable to wear by both genders. Second, as the century progressed, girls began to wear a variety of previously boysish styles or garments, again provide more opportunity for coordinating brother and sister outfits.

Country Trends

The popularity of coordinating the outfits of brother and sisters has varied among countries. HBC has not yet been able to assess national differences in this respect. Our initial assessment is that brother-sisterboutfitswere especially popular in Germany. We also see some examples in America and Britain. This of course may relect our larger archives is those states.

Changing Fashion

There has been a major shift in this style. In the 19th Century it involved dressing the boy and 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.

Ages

Brother-sister outfits were generally for younger boys and older sisters, most commonly boys up to 5 or 6 years old. Sometimes older boys were dressed like their sisters, at least in coordated outfits, but rarely boys over 8 or 9 years old. The girls involved, however, have sometimes been teenagers. And of course for idetical outfits the age threashold for boys is even lower.

Figure 2.--After the turn of the century, brothers and sisters were less likely to wear matching dresses, but they might both wear white dresses with different styling. The boy here wears a more boyish looking Russian dress while his younger sister wears a fancier dress. Note that the boy is also wearing a hairbow. The image was sisned at the bottom. Aime Dupont, N.Y.

Garment Styling

Brothers and sisters have been dressed in a variety of styles. Usually but not always the girl wears a dress or skirted garment. This means that brothers and sisters rately were dressed in identical outfits. We only see that in a few occasssions with very young boys. Boys on the other hand have worn much more diverse garments. So what we see with brother-sister outfits is almost entirely coordinated outfits. With the detailing of different garments being coordinated. Tunics for a shorter period were a popular garment for boys that could be coordinated. Sailor suits were especially popular in these corrdinatred outfits for a much longer period. Not only styling could be coordinated, but color was also used as a coorrdinated fashion device. Coordinating the color can make even entirely different garments look like a similar outfit. Of course, all of this has changed over time with the varying fashion trends developing. The populatity of different garments changed, but the way of coordinating thev varying garments did not. One major shift in modern times has been the tendency of girls after World War II to just wear skirted garments. With girls wearing pants, the possibilityn of coordinating outfits increased, although the popularity of this fashion conventioinn has declined as well as family size.

Material

Often brothers and sisters wore different garments, but the outfits were corrdinated by being made of the same material. Most commonly these outfits were dresses for the girls and various short pants for the boys. Usually this was for children of approximaetly the same age, or a younger boy and older sister.

Hair Styles

Usually mothers coordonated the clothing of their boys and girls. Less common was coordinating hair styles. This usually ment letting a boys' hair grow long and not cutting a girls' hair short. This was most common in the late 19th century and early 20th century before World War I (1914-18). When the hair was coordinated, usually the children were dressed differently. HBC knows of few instances when both hair and clothes were coordinated, although it was not unknown.

Created: March 16, 1999
Last updated: 6:31 PM 3/24/2024