Figure 1.--Many Irish American mothers try to interest their children in cultural activities like step dancing. Mostly girls are interested, but some boys also participate. These boys, however, only wear their kilts while performing.

America has been both an importer and exporter. European fashion has always been important in America, especially among the well to do. Boys on the frontier after breeching largely wore scaled-down versions of their father's clothes. Specialized children's clothing was largely found in affluent urban communities--where children had the opportunity to be children and did not have to begin working at an eraly age. Affluent American mothers always wanted to dress their boys like little English boys. The boys, however, objected. By the 1940s, few American boys wanted anything to do with European fashions. Rather it appears to be that America has influence Europe. Long pants, jeans, "T"-shirts, sport shorts, sweat shirts, baseball caps, baggy pants, baggy swim suits, ect. are all American styles. I can't think of an important American boys fashion since the 1940s that has been imported from Europe. Not that moms didn't like the European styles--American boys didn't like them.

Importer

European fashion has always been important in America, especially among the well to do. Boys on the frontier after breeching largely wore scaled-down versions of their father's clothes. Specialized children's clothing was largely found in affluent urban communities--where children had the opportunity to be children and did not have to begin working at an eraly age. Affluent American mothers always wanted to dress their boys like little English boys. American boys objectedm but in the 19th century were rarely consulted in such matters. It was mother who generally made such decissions.

Exporter

few American boys by the 1940s wanted anything to do with European fashions. Rather it appears to be that America has influence Europe. Long pants, jeans, "T"-shirts, sport shorts, sweat shirts, baseball caps, baggy pants, baggy swim suits, ect. are all American styles. I can't think of an important American boys fashion since the 1940s that has been imported from Europe. Not that moms didn't like the European styles--American boys didn't like them.

Ethnic Roots

A European reader looking at America comments on possible European fashion influences, "The States was initially an immense gathering of European immigrants. I wondered if the "searching for one's old roots" could create fashion trends. There are no examples known to me, some imports in the States such as German/Austrian/Italian Lederhosen or such as kilts from Ireland/Scottland. Perhaps as American ethnic groups search for their roots that such fashions have been of some influence." Our reader also wonders about the influence of the Amish. While foreign fashion, especially English fashions have been of considerable influence in America, HBC does not believe that imigrant fashion or the interest in one's heritage has been of great importance. Several factors are responsible for this.

Assimilation

The primary interst of European boys immigrating to America has been to assimilate as rapidly as possible. This is true of the boys brought to America by first generation immigrants as well as the second generation born here. They wanted to sopeak and dress like Americans. In fact children that stood out were often teased so there was a powerful force pushing assimilation. Boys simly did not want to wear clothes identifying them as foreign. This force was in fact much more pronounced among the children than the adults. Parents often clung to European cultural traditions, had more trouble learning English, and often decried the American life style their children were adopting. Some parents who newly imograted to America often would dress their children in familar European styles. In the 20th century, for example, European imigrant parents would often insist on short pants rather than knickers or long pants which often caused trouble for the children at school.

Search for roots

It is true that by the third generation there was often a developing cultural interest in one's ethnic heritage. This interest, however, was primarily an adult interest. Rarely did the impetud for such a pursuit come from the children. Parents might interest their children in the subject, but it is a rare case that such interests transferred in wearing foreign clothing. Some parents would incourage children to wear ethnic cistume for events like Irish feuses, Scottish gatherings, or German festivals. It was usuallu a hard sell. Some boys do wear kilts for Irish dancing, but only while performing and often do not even mention to friends that they dance in kilts. A few boys might wear kilts for Highland gatherings or pipe bands, but do not wrar them for any non--ethnic or band event. Very few American boys ever wore lederhosen outside of German ethnic events.

Child/teen culture

American children and teenagers have two primary concerbs when it comes to fashion. First they want compfortable clothes. Two they wasnt tio fit in and wear what their friends are wearing. There is very little interest, if any, in wearing clothes associated with their ethnic background. You can go into virtually any school in America and it would be impossible to identigy the ethnic background of children or teenagers baded on the clothes that they are wearing.