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Children's clothing styles after the turn of the 20th century included many 19th century styles. There were, however, some changes. Younger boys were no longer commonly outfitted in dresses. There was still condiderable formaility in dress, but some informal styles appeared for younger children. One of these informal styles for boys was tunic suits, often worn with short pants. The single most popular outfit for boys was the sailor suit. Imperial Germany was building a modern Navy as well as overseas colonies. Boys wore sailor suits in many different styles. Some were detailed with traditional stripes while others were very plain. Younger boys also had close-cropped hair cuts. Girls still always wore dresses. Hems were higher after the turn of the 20th century. White dresses were very poular, but we note colored dresses as well. The neck level was normlly very high. The hems were normally about calf level, but could be higher for younger girls. Both boys and girls wore long stockings, but might wear short socks during the summer. Dark long stockings were common, but some children, especially girls, might wear long stockings. Many girls wore long hair, often with hair bows.
The 20th century brought fashion changes in Germany, although there was a great deal of carry over from the 1890s. Formality was still notable, especially for adults. Children's fashions changed more than adult fashions. Most boys no longer wore dresses, especially by the end of the decade. Perhaps the most significant innovation was steps toward informality for children. Children might still dress formally, but there were increasing option. Even with formal dress we begin to see the appearance of open collar styles. The sailor suit was extremely popular, even more so than in the 1890s. We see tunic suits which compared to many 1890s fashions were informal and comfortable. We also see Russian blouses and square sailor collars. While long stockings were still common, three-quarter length stockings became common during the Summer, bith for boys and girls.
Readers can look at the getting dressed project by garment tyoe. Here we will look at the childrens underwear, support garments, and hosiery so we can follow the process of getting dressed. We are still developing information. We are not sure what kind of underwear German children wore in the 1900s. In working on the United States section we had substntial resource of the HBC catalog to use to understnd underwear. German children still commonly wore long stockings in the 1900s, especially during the Winter. Many period photographs, however, show children wearing three-quarter length stockings. We are unsure about support garments.
Of course we know much more about the children's outer clothing because of our expanding archive of photographic images. Here we see a mix of old and new styles that are family wore. We have chosen a range of Summer styles for the children.
Here we are still developing information. We are not sure what kind of underwear German children wore in the 1900s. In working on the United States section we had s substantial resource of the HBC catalog to use to understnd German children's underwear during the 1900s. Hopefully our German readers will be able to help us develop the basic information needed to draw the images accurately for this section.
German children still commonly wore long stockings in the 1900s. Three-quarter socks have begun to ppear, but our children still wear long stockings whivh were still the dominant hosiery--even during the Summer. They were commonly worn with dressing up, but many children also wore them for school and for play. Some children may have worn them just because some mothers preferred long stockings. The images we note of three-quarter length stocks are more fashionable families than the average German family. We are not sure yet about support garments in the 1900s. We suspect that instead of support garments, ad hoc devices like pins and rubber bands were used for long stockings.
The single most popular outfit for boys was the sailor suit. Imperial Germany was building a modern Navy as well as overseas colonies. Boys wore sailor suits in many different styles. Some were detailed with traditional stripes while others were very plain. Friederich wears a plain white sailor suit, a popular choice for summerwear. Even during the Summer he wears long stockings. Younger boys also had close-cropped hair cuts. Girls still always wore dresses. Hems were higher after the turn of the 20th century. White dresses were very poular, but we note colored dresses as well. Charlotte wears a white Summer frock. The neck level was very high. Her hem is calf level, but could be higher for younger girls. Both boys and girls wore long stockings, but might wear short socks during the summer. Dark long stockings were common, but some children, especially girls, might wear long stockings. Many girls wore long hair, often with hair bows. Both boys and girls wore high-top shoes.
HBC
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Album1900
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