** pinafore national trends -- England








Pinafores National Trends: England


Figure 1.--These English boys were photographed in similar but not identical pinafores. Mother clearly was not taking any chances that they might get their clothes dirty. The image is undated, but we would guess from the glass negative that it was taken in the 1890s. We wonder what the older boy is so irritated about. Notice that he is wearing a shirt and perhaps pants of some kind under his pinnie.

The pinafore is commonly associated with girls. Large number of images show English girls wearing imaculate white pinnies to school. They were by both affluent and working class girls, although the better off girls normally had fancier pinnies. Other firls had both pinnies for play and for more formal occassions. Some younger boys in England also are known to have been dressed in pinafores. Boys except for the very youngest would normally only wear pinnies around the home and not go to school in them like the girls. Also of course quite old girls might wear pinnies while only younger boys wore them. Pinnies were not, however, reserved only for the boys still in dresses or wearing smocks--although such boys were especially likely to also wear pinnies. Water colorist Helen Allingham outfitted her son in dresses and pinafores during the 1880s. We believe that this was realtively common, especially for affluent families, until the turn of the 20th century. It is not we documented in the photgraphic record, in part, because the children were normally dressed up for their portraits. There are, however, a few such images. We believe that these pinafores were much more common than is suggested by the photographic record.

Chronology

We do not yet have sufficent information and images to prepare chronology on English pinafores. They seem to have been a very common garment in the 19th century. Both boys and girls wore them. The drugery of laundry was one reason pinafores were such a popular garment. They were very common for younger children, but not very common for boys after they began school. We are not entirely sure about the age conventions. Girls continued wearing pinafores in the early 20th century, but they became much less common for girls. e are not sure how the characteristics of pinafors such as color and style varied over time. Pinafores were a protective garment and thus the popularity declined when labor saving advances were made in laundry. The declining relative cost of clothing is another facor.

Terminology

A 'pinafore apron' or more commonly simply 'pinafore' is a type of protective apron worn by children and women. We note that in America the term pinafore is generally used in the sence of a child's apron-like garment. In Britian it can be used in the sence of an apron for adults as well. There can be some confusion between American and Brutish English. In British English, 'pinafore dress' corresponds to the American English term 'jumper' (dress) which in itself is consusing as a 'jumper' in Britain is a sweater.

Ages

As English boys mistly wore pinafores over dresses and skirts, the age conventions would thus seem to be essentially to be essentially the same as for for those garments. This would have changed somewhat over time, but would be basically pre-school boys up to about 5 years of ages. Most of the images we ahve found in the photographic record suggest 2-4 years were most common. Here social class conventions would have had some imapct. Boys from well-to-do families might have worn pinafores to a slightly older age, especially if they were educated at home. They were subjected to closer supervision and nannies and governesses mightb have kept themm in pinafores. Girls of course wore pinafores to a much older age and they are commonly worn to school.

Gender

The pinafore is commonly associated with girls. And indeed large numbers of girls wore them. We have found numerous images in the photographic record showing English girls wearing imaculate white pinnies to school. They were by both affluent and working class girls, although the better off girls normally had fancier pinnies. Other firls had both pinnies for play and for more formal occassions. We suspect that much lsrger 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 wer their pinafotes. This makes it difficult to assess the chronology and prevalence grom the photographic record. It is clear that white was the most common color. Some younger boys in England also are known to have been dressed in pinafores.

Usage

English boys except for the very youngest would normally only wear pinnies around the home and not go to school in them like the girls. We do note that some English mothers in the 19th century did also send boys to school in pinafores so as not to spoil their clothdes. We are not sure how common this was, but the photgraphic record suggests that it was fairly common in some communities. Also of course quite old girls might wear pinnies while only younger boys wore them. Pinnies were commonly worn in the 19th and even early 20th century child's nursery. An English child which soiled his or her pinafore would be described as "messing" his or her pinny. Some mothers only dressed the baby of the family in pinnies. Other dressed all the children in pinnies while they were young, especially for everyday wear at home (figure 1). Often boys wearing pinnies have not yet been breached, but we do not that some English boys wore pinnies even after breaching.

Styles

Note the two different styles of pinafores here (figure 1). We are unsure if the older boy wears a somewhat paliner pinnie because of his age or if this is just chance. It is likely that the boy had several pinnies which were changed daily.

Clothing

We are not enirely sure what clothes boys wore under pinnies. Pinafores were like smocks a protective garment worn over other clothes. We believe that they were usually worn over dresses by girls and unbreeched boys. That would mean mostly dresses and skirts. Wearing them over smocks would seem a bit of protective overkill, but this is not tp say it was never done. Some younger boys may have worn them over suits of some kind, but we cannot yet confirm this. We have not found any clear examples of this in the photographic record, although one of the boys here seems to be wearing a shirt amd pants of some sort (figure 1). German boys wore a kind of play pinafore over short pants and other outfits, but we have not noted that in England. Our archive of pinafore images is still quite limited. And is not always easy to tell in available images, especoally as they are mostly black and white. Water colorist Helen Allingham outfitted her son in what looks like desses and pinafores during the 1880s. The pinafores are obvious, but it is not always clear what her son is wearing under the pinnies.

Social Class

We believe that this was realtively common, especially for affluent families, until the turn of the 20th century.

Photographic Record

The use of pinafores by boys is not we documented in the photgraphic record, in part, because the children were normally dressed up for their portraits. There are, however, a few such images. We believe that these pinafores were much more common than is suggested by the photographic record.

Reader Comment

A French reader writes, "On the umage here HBC mentions that the older boy in the image here is irrated about something (figure 1). I think he is a bit affraid of the camera, perhaps the flash. [HBC note: He may well have been irritaed about the camera, but I do not think a flash was used with this portrait.] He absolutly was not bothered by his charming pinafore. On some HBC pages we can read, comments of boy who dis not like certain garments or styles or were teased about them. Usually because they were not stylish or perhaps too srtlish--sometimes having a sissy look. I do not think that this was a real concern to many younger boys. A little boy does not have a real opinion on the way he is dressed, especially boys like these raised in a nursery presumably by a nanny with only limited contact with other children. Boys can be dressed in smocks, rompers, shorts or short pants suit, and in earlier periods even dresses. If no one makes negative comments to him, there are no problems. Personally I think it is dreadful how small boys are dressed like little men today. This was not done when I was growing up. Boys in the 1950s couldn't imagine to wear adult-style clothes. Boys dressed like adults were the gypsy or the very poor children wearong their parents' old clothes. It was accepted at the time that boys had their own style garment: rompers, short pants, the shirt with col Claudine (Peter Pan collars), smocks, ect."







HBC





Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main English skirted outer garment page]
[Return to the Main pinafore page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]





Created: September 7, 2002
Last updated: 12:01 AM 10/5/2013