Figure 1.-- This cabinet card shows four brothers. We do not know their last name, but we do known their first names and when they were born: Leland (February 7, 1885). Sam (September 19, 1887), Wilbur (May 26, 1890), and Richard (March 31, 1892), The studio was Erikson in Rockford, Illinois. The portrait was taken February 27, 1893. This photo sugggests that the boys were breeched at about 3-4 years of age. It is difficult to tell because we are not sure what Sam is wearing.

We are not entirely sure about colonial America, but we believe it was common for little boys to wear dresses in the 17th and 18th centuries. We are not at all sure as to the age that boys were breeched in the colonial era. We have much more information on the 19th century, largely because photography became commercially viable in the 1840s. Family portraits provide valuable informnation on breeching conventions. We see boys wearing dresses throughout the 19th century. At the end of the century in the 1890s we see fewer boys wearing dresses and being breeched at an earlier age. especially older boys. Many boys wearing skirted garments wore kilt suits rather than dresses. Younger boys still wore dresses in the early-20th century, but only relatively little boys. The fashion of boys wearing dresses was going out of style and rarely seen after World War I, except for infants and younger todlers.

17th Century

We are not entirely sure about colonial America, but we believe it was common for little boys to wear dresses in the 17th century. Conditions were fairly primitive in the 17th century when the colonies were founded. Jamnestown was the first permanent colony (1609) and Plymouth (1620) and some of the other colonies much later. We have found very little information and few imaages.

18th Century

We believe that it was also common for boys to wear dresses in the 18th century. Conditions wee much more setteled with cities beginning to develop. Most Americans, however, still lived on farms. We are not at all sure as to the age that boys were breeched in the colonial era.

19th Century

We have much more information on the 19th century, largely because photography became commercially viable in the 1840s. We have only limited informstion about the first four decsades, but ewe have an enormoud amout of information by mid-century. The geeral pattern seems to be thsat it was very common for boys to wear dresses through age 3 years. After that an increasing number of boys were breeched, but the sage of breeching varied widely from family to family. Bu sage 6 most boys were breeched, but not all. The age of breeching seemds to have declined by the 1890s, but there continued to be substatial differences among families. Thus for the first time we have a great deal of evidence about how boys were dressed. Family portraits provide valuable informnation on breeching conventions. We see boys wearing dresses throughout the 19th century. At the end of the century in the 1890s we see fewer boys wearing dresses and being breeched at an earlier age. especially older boys. Many boys wearing skirted garments wore kilt suits rather than dresses. One notable observation is that is was not just boys from affluet families that wore dresses, but boys in rural families as well. We are not sure yet as to how demographics and social class affected the age of breeching.

20th century

Younger boys still wore dresses in the early-20th century, but only relatively little boys. The fashion of boys wearing dresses was going out of style and rarely seen after World War I, except for infants and younger todlers.

Created: 2:21 AM 1/12/2008
Last updated: 5:16 AM 8/27/2009