Figure 1.--These children, surely brother and sister, are unidentified. We think the younger child is a boy becausen it is unlikely that sisters would have their hair done so differently. They wear identical dresses. We do know that they were from Bridgeport, Connecticut. The portrait also is undated. We would guess it was taken in the 1880s, The children look to be about 5-9 years of age.

We also see brothers and sisters wearing dresses. Of couse this was less common than than sisters because of the age limitation imposed by the breeching age. Again we do not know how common this was in the early 19th century. At the time it was very common for boys to wear dresses so we think this would have been quite common. It was also common in the second half of the 19th century, but began to decline in popularity by the 1890s and we see less of it in the 20th century. Often we see siblings wearing different dresses. This includes both boy and girl siblings. We do, however, see a few portraits where brothers and sisters are wearing identical dresses. Most commonly this is done with a younger boy and older girl. This is probably because an older boy might protest and also it widens the age range for which this could be done. This may have been more common when clothes began to be made ready made because the same dress could be found in different sizes, but identical dresses could be ordered from millinaries as well. Images with the children wearing identical dresses are not very common, but they are also not rare so quite a number of families practiced this convention. There are instances in which the whole family wears the same dresses, but here this was limited by the age of the older boys who were old enough to breech. hese dresses could be quite fussy, in part because they were often dresses worn by older girls. Simple white frocks were, however the most common choice.

Popularity

We also see brothers and sisters wearing dresses. Of couse this was less common than than sisters because of the age limitation imposed by the breeching age. It was a widespread convention for younger boys to wear dresses. Most boys were breeched somewhere between age 3-6 years of age. Thus we vmpstly see brothers of that age wering dresses with their sisters. Famolies at the time tebded to be larger, so quitr a few families at keast for a time had broiters and sisterscwearing dresses. This was just one aspect of the popular convention of dressing childrren identically. Of course dresses could be very different for boys and girls. Here this varied from family to family, but untill the 1890s boys and girls generally wore similarly styled if not identical dresses. Although the kilt suit appearing in the 1870s provided a specifically boy option for unbreeched boys.

Chronology

Our chronological information on brothers and sisters wearing dresses is fairly limited. We know next to nothing on the 17th century. We believe it was fairly common for younger boys in the 18th centuryto wear dresses like their sisters, but have few images to support our assessment or to compare styling. We know much more about the 19th century, at least the second half of the century for which we have photographic images. Again we do not know much about the early-19th century. At the time it was very common for boys to wear dresses so we think this would have been quite common and that dresses for brothers and sisters were virtually interchangeable. We have, however, few images to assess the convention in detail. We know it was common in the second half of the 19th century and there are many photographic images which can be used to assess trends. The popular conventions began to decline notably in the 1890s and we see definite differences in the dresses chosen by mothers for sons and daughters, especially by the late-1890s. That said, it was all up to mother and we see some boys dressed just like theirsisters. We still see broithers and sisters wearing dresses in the very early-20th century, but relatively few in the 1910s and virtually none after World War I in the 1920s with the exception of infants.

Identical Dresses

Sometimes we see siblings wearing different or even similar dresses. We do, however, see only a few portraits where brothers and sisters are wearing identical dresses. This may have been more common when clothes began to be made ready made because the same dress could be found in different sizes, but identical dresses could be ordered from millinaries as well. Images with the children wearing identical dresses are not very common, but we have found some so quite a number of families practiced this convention. There are instances in which the whole family wears the same dresses, but here this was limited by the age of the older boys who were old enough to breech. We notice variouds styles. These dresses could be quite fussy, in part because they were often dresses worn by older girls. Simple white frocks were, however the most common choice. Almost always, identical dresses involved a little boy and his big sister.

Brother-Sister Age Conventions

One factor associated with boy and girl siblings wearing dresses is age. Most commonly we see a younger boy and older girl wearing dresses. This is probably because an older boy might presumbluy protest the idea of wearing the same outfit as hos little sister. This was especially the case if the boy was of schiil age. Parents of course had much more say as to how children dressed in the 19th century. Even so boys of school age were not without their opinions and might resist this effort of mother to dress the children alike. Another factors was the mathematical mechanics of ageing. A little boy easly might be dressed like his older sister for 4-5 years. The sister would probably not complain. On the other hand, an older broher could only be dressed like his little sister for 2-3 years before reaching the normal breeching age, Thus for older brothers the age range window in whih this could be done was very limited. There was, however, no fixed age foir breeching boys. The photographic record cleaerly shows that some mothers continued the practice past school entry age (about age 6 years), in some instances well past that age. In such instances a boy might be dressed like his little sister for several years.

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Created: 3:59 AM 8/4/2007
Last updated: 8:50 AM 10/7/2020