Figure 1.--One of the problems in assessing 19th century trends pertaining to dresses is that many are unidentified. Of course the usually look like girls. Oftern they are, but this is not always the case as boys in many cases also had long hair. Thus we are left with the prioblem of attempting to determine the gender oif the children. This is often quite difficult. Both chilkdren here may be girls, but the child on the left might be a boy. Click on the image for a fuller discussion. Image courtesy of Albumn.1900.

We have just begun to develop information on chronolgical trends concerning the dresses worn by German boys. Our preliminary assessment is that the German pattern differed somewhat from the rest of Europe. We do notice images of German boys wearing dresses, but it does not seem to have been as common in Germany as in some other European countries. Of course are assessment is complicated some wgat because until 1871 there were many independent German states before the German Empire under Prussian leadership was created. We suspect, for example, there may have been differences between Prussia and other German stastes like Bavaria. Hopefully as our information expands we will be ablevto more accuratelybunderstand German trends.

The 18th Century

We do not yet have any information concernin German boys wearing dresses in the 18th century.

The 19th Century

Early 19th Century (1800-40)

Mid 19th Century (1840-70)

Avaialble information shows that German boys were wearing dresses in the mid-19th century. We do not, however, have sufficent images to assess whether this widely practiced custom in Europe differed in Germany to any appreciable extent.

Late 19th century (1870-1900)

We note some small German boys wearing dresses in the late 19th century. Almopst all are very young boys, most with their hair already cut short. We notice far more boys in America, England, France, Italy, Spain, and other countries wearing dresses, especially older boys commonly to 4 or 5 years of age. This suggests to us that by the late 19th century that German boys were being breached earlier and having their hair cut short earlier. This is stull a preliminary assessment, but as we acquire more and more images, this is the pattern emerging. We do not know yet, however, how this pattern varied within Germany. We also are not sure as to just why this was, but suspect the very aggressive masuline ethos of Prussia was a factor. Germany was of course unified around Prussia as a result of the Franco Prussian War and Prussian values and customs thuis had a significant imapxt on the new German Empire. Hopefully our German readers will have insights to offer here.

The 20th Century

The convention of dressing boys in dresses had largely passed by the 20th century. We do note very young boys wearing dresses in the 1900s, but even this was rarely seen after World War I (1914-18). This was most common among aristoicratic and rich families. After the War by the 1920s we rarely see German boys wearing dresses, even quite yoing ones.

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Created: 6:52 PM 1/10/2005
Last updated: 8:19 PM 1/10/2005