Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows four children from an unidentified English family. The children look to be about 3-11 years old. The older boys wear what looks to be cut away jackets with small collars and long pants. The younger boy wears a low neckline plaid dress, pantalettes, and high-top shoes. Their little sister weas a white dress, white socks and strap shoes. the studio is Tole in Stony Stratford. This is a market town in Buckinghamshire.

Dresses covered the child from neck to knee and lower for olfer girls. Thus there are only limited accompamnying clothing to be worn with dresses. We have not found a lot of English images with children headwear with their dresses. We are not sure why. Our English archive is growing but still not large. So we do not yet have a real sampling of dress images with headwear. Because of the age factor, boys and girls wore many of the same basic styles. Boys did not, however, wear the flowery decorated hats that some girls did. We believe the most common headwear was rounded crown hats with various width brims. In the 19th century wide brimmed hats with wide and medium brims were common. After the early-20th century we no longer see noys wearing dresses, but we continue to see girls wearing these hats. Often the portraits do not shoe the top of thee hats, but some haf only slightly rounded crowns, Another hat was boaters, but they were not as common as rounded-crown hats. We rarely see caps being worn with dresses. We do not know much about petticoats. The prtticoats are usually all covered up by the dresses. We can see sometimes the hem of the petticaits peeking out at the hem of the dress. Women wore long dresses in the 19th century, but younger children might wear shorter dresses. Still most of the petticoat is normally covered. All that we can tell from the photographic record is just a touch of the hem of the petticoat. Pantalettes were worn by English children for about a century. Pantalettes were extensively worn by English children, both boys and girls in the 19th century. The pattern described for America above appears to have been similar in England. Quite a few available images show English children, including boys wearing pantalettes. They were worn with both dresses, tunics, and skeleton suits. Pantalettes appear to have been more common in England as American travelers to England have commented on the fashion for boys to wear them. Apparently older boys wore them in England than in America. Many English children wearing dresses wore them with socks rther than long stockings which were much more common in America. English trends seem more similar to French trends. This was especially true of younger boys and girls. We do not think there was any difference among the younger children on a gender basis. We are not sure about the early 19th century yet, but by the mid-19th cntury, socks, often white socks, were very common with dresses. We note both ankle socks and three-quater socks. Knee socks were not very common, although they were worn with kilts. We also see long stockings which were more common with older children. Children wore shoes with dresses. We see different styles in he 19th century. This included strap shoes, low-cut shoes, and high-top shoes. This is a little different than America where high-top shoes were the dominant footwear. We see some strap shoes in America, but after mid--century low cut shoes were unusual.

Headwear

We have not found a lot of English images with children headwear with their dresses. We are not sure why. Our English archive is growing but still not large. So we do not yet have a real sampling of dress images with headwear. Because of the age factor, boys and girls wore many of the same basic styles. Boys did not, however, wear the flowery decorated hats that some girls did. We believe the most common headwear was rounded crown hats with various width brims. In the 19th century wide brimmed hats with wide and medium brims were common. After the early-20th century we no longer see boys wearing dresses, but we continue to see girls wearing these hats. Often the portraits do not show the top of the hats, but some have only slightly rounded crowns, Another hat was boaters, but they were not as common as rounded-crown hats. We rarely see caps being worn with dresses. We also see tams.

Petticoats

We do not know much about petticoats. The prtticoats are usually all covered up by the dresses. We can see sometimes the hem of the petticaits peeking out at the hem of the dress. Women wore long dresses in the 19th century, but younger children might wear shorter dresses. Still most of the petticoat is normally covered. All that we can tell from the photographic record is just a touch of the hem of the petticoat.

Pantalettes

Pantalettes were worn by English children for about a century. Pantalettes were extensively worn by English children, both boys and girls in the 19th century. The pattern described for America above appears to have been similar in England. Quite a few available images show English children, including boys wearing pantalettes. They were worn with both dresses, tunics, and skeleton suits. Pantalettes appear to have been more common in England as American travelers to England have commented on the fashion for boys to wear them. Apparently older boys wore them in England than in America. They were worn with a variety of hosiery types.

Hosiery

Many English children wearing dresses wore them with socks rther than long stockings which were much more common in America. English trends seem more similar to French trends. This was especially true of younger boys and girls. We do not think there was any difference among the younger children on a gender basis. We are not sure about the early 19th century yet, but by the mid-19th cntury, socks, often white socks, were very common with dresses. We note both ankle socks and three0-quater socks. Knee socks were not very common, although they were worn with kilts. We also see long stockings which were more common with older children. The older children were mostly girls because by age 4-5 years of age, boys were commonly breeched. This varied somewhat over time and from family to family. Social class factors were invloved. Our archive is to limited at this point to develop firm assessments about these various trends, but we are constantly adding information and images.

Footwear

Children wore shoes with dresses. We see different styles in he 19th century. This included strap shoes, low-cut shoes, and high-top shoes. This is a little different than America where high-top shoes were the dominant footwear. We see some strap shoes in America, but after mid--century low cut shoes were unusual.

Created: 3:25 AM 10/9/2019
Last updated: 3:25 AM 10/9/2019