Figure 1.--This unidentified child was photographed at the Bateman studio in Canterbury, England. Despite the short hair, we think the child is a girl, in part because of the flower basket. Notice the large bow at the front. That was rather unusual. We haven't seen this before. The portrait is undated. We might guess the 1880s, but we are not at all sure. Notice how short the skirt is. It is more decorative than prortective. Most pennies cover muchn more of the dress.

The pinafore is commonly associated with girls. And indeed large numbers of English girls wore them. They were nota paricularly English garment. The pinafore was widely worn in Europe and America. We have found numerous images in the photographic record showing English girls wearing imaculate white pinnies. We suspect that much larger numbers of girls wore pinafores than is suggested by the photgraphic record. The pinafore was commonly worn at home, but for a formal photographic portrait the girls usually dressed up and did not wear their pinafotes. This makes it difficult to assess the chronology and prevalence from the photographic record. We do not yet have a detailed chronology, partly because photography was not available for the early-19th century. The pinfore was very common in he mid-19th century and continued to be commobly worn into the early-20th century. There were colored pinnies, but the white ones were the most common. It is clear that white was the most common color. They were by both affluent and working class girls, although the better off girls normally had fancier pinnies. Notice the eyelet lace work on the girl's dress here (figure 1). The pinafore was a protective garment. It was worn under various circumsances. It was very commonly worn to school. A good ecample is a church school in the 1890s. Countless school portaits show girls wearing pinafores to school. Other girls had both pinnies for play and for more formal occassions. Some younger boys in England also are known to have been dressed in pinafores.

Prevalence

The pinafore is commonly associated with girls. And indeed large numbers of English girls wore them. They were not a paricularly English garment. The pinafore was widely worn in Europe and America. We have found numerous images in the photographic record showing English girls wearing imaculate white pinnies. Much larger numbers of girls wore pinafores than is suggested by studio photograophy. The pinafore was commonly worn at home, but for a formal photographic portrait the girls usually dressed up and did not wear their pinafores. This makes it difficult to assess the chronology and prevalence from studio photography. Thanks to school photography we see large numbers of English girls wearing pinafores in the 19th and early-20 centuries. Dresses were for many years commonly worn with pinafores. Pinafores were so common that we often do not get to see the dresses ans skirts that the girls were wearing underneath. This was the case in the 19th and early-20th century. Unfotunately we do not get large numberss of school images until the late-19th century. We think pinafores were common before that, but have only limited information. But by the late-19th century we do have images and we see large numbers of girls wearing pinafores. We see countless school portaits in which virtually all the girls are wearing white pinafores. It was virtually a uniform, but noit required by the school. It was just what English girls wore at the time. They seem to have been a standard part of everyday dress. Not only for school, but also after school as well. We believe that pinafores were common into the early-20th century until ad=fter World War I. They seem to have disappeared in the 1920s. We are not sure just why. It was a garment that had been worn for dedcades, but then suddenly disappeared.

Chronology

We do not yet have a detailed chronology, partly because photography was not available for the early-19th century. The pinfore was very common in he mid-19th century and continued to be commonly worn into the early-20th century.

Colors and Patterns

We see pinafores done with in flat color as well as patterns. The flat colors were by far the most common, especially white pennies. There were colored pinnies, but the white ones were the most common. It is clear that white was the most common color. We are not sure about the actual colors given the black and white photography of the day, but they mostly look like muted colors. We suspect that there were not many bright colors, but that needs to be confirmed. There are paintings and we do not see bright colors. Most are light colors whuch can be confirmed from the photograophic record. We have seen a few dark-colored pennies, oprobably black or dark blue. This all seems up to mother's disgressions, but older girls may have had something to say about their pennies. There were also pattened pinnies. The patterns varies, but checks seem popular. We notice some images showing all or most of the girls wearing wearing white pinafores. There are, however, some images we hav archived which show quite a few girls wearing colored or patterned pennies.

Social Class

Pinafores were by both affluent and working class girls, although the better off girls normally had fancier pinnies. Notice the eyelet lace work on the girl's dress here (figure 1).

Purpose

The pinafore was a protective garment. In the 19th and early-20th century, laundry was a laborious undertaking. Without wshing machines and modern detergents, mothers had quite a callenge, especially if they had alarge family. An entire a would be set aside for laundry. So it made sence for children to wear garments to protective their clothes White cotton pinafores were easier to was than havier often wool garments. Bleach and hot boiling warer could be used on white pinafores while greater care had to be taken with many other garments. Srangely it was active boys who were most likely to gettheir clothes dirty, but it was girls who mostly wore pinafores.

Usage

Pinafores were widely worn and for different circumstances. Pinfores were very commonly worn to school. Countless school portaits which were becoming common lace by the 1890s show girls wearing pinafores to school. We see almost all or at least many girls wearing pinafores to school. White pinafores were very common. A good ecample is a church school in the 1890s. School pinafores were usully white and simple. Girls also wore around the house and for play. These are not the same as children often had chores, but the tendency to wear pinafores was prevalent in both instances. There is less photograhic evidence of this because the aateur snapshot did not becone common until the turn-of-the-century. Thus we do not see that many images of play and life around the home until the 1900s and this is about the time that pinafores began declining in popularity. And the pinafore became less common after World War I (1914-18). We some girls wearing pinafores with more formal dresses, like the girl here (figure 1), but his was less common than for school or play.

Age

Pinafores were wirn by girks of all ages. This included both schhol age girls which at the time primarily meant primary schools. But teenagers in and out of school also wore them.

Boys

Some younger boys in England also are known to have been dressed in pinafores.

Created: 12:24 AM 4/19/2011
Last updated: 4:37 AM 9/9/2020