Ludwig II's Boyhood Clothing: Dresses


Figure 1.--One image shows Prince Ludwig wearing a plain dark dress with no colar or wrist trim in 1850 worn with white long stockings. He was 4 years old. He is playing with his drums. Notice the blocks in the bakground.

Both Prince Ludwig and Prince Otto wore dresses as younger boys. One image shows them wear similar, but not identical plain frocks. They my have also had some identical dresses. Available images show them wear very plain colored dresses with only modest or no trim. I am not sure what the colors were. They may have had fancier dresses, but I can not confirm this. One image shows Prince Ludwig wearing a plain dark dress with no collar or wrist trim. Ludwig and his brother wore their dresses with both long stockings and short socks. One image shows Prince Ludig wearing his dresses with bloomer knicker. We know that Prince Ludwig was wearing dresses in 1850 at age 4. We do not know how long he wore dresses after 1850 or when he was breeched.

The Princes

Both Prince Ludwig and Prince Otto wore dresses as younger boys. One image shows them wear similar, but not identical plain frocks. They may have also had some identical dresses. We do not know how long after this both boys continued to wear dresses. Presumably Prince Ptto continued to wear dresses a year or so after Prince Ludwig was breeched.

Styles

Available images show the princes wearing very plain colored dresses with only modest or no trim. I am not sure what the colors were. They may have had fancier dresses, but I can not confirm this. One image shows Prince Ludwig wearing a plain dark dress with no collar or wrist trim. The dresses seen here in both image are quite similar, thet are all colored, rather plain dresses with mid-length sleeves. There are, however, differeces. Prince Otto's dress has some limited detailing (figure 2). One dreses has a very highcollar (figure 1). The boys also wore dresses with ope square collrs (figure 2).


Figure 2.--This image shows Princes Ludwig and Otto with their mother wearing a plain colored dresses about 1850. Ludwig was 4-5 years old.

Hosiery

Ludwig and his brother wore their dresses with both long stockings and short socks. The young princes here appear to be wearing short socks, although jyst what kid of hosery Ludwig is wearing is unclear. Another image shows rince Ludig wearing long stockings with his dresses.

Pantalettes

We assume thar the princes wore pantalettes ith their dresses. One image shows, however, Prince Ludig wearing his dresses with bloomer knicker rather than pantalettes (figure 2).

Ages

We know that Prince Ludwig was wearing dresses in 1850 at age 4 (figure 1). The drawing here was also done in 1850, but we do not know if Prince Ludig has turned 5 years old yet (figure 2). We do not know to what ge he continud wearing dresses.

Breeching

We do not know how long he wore dresses after 1850 or when he was breeched. This is the latest dated image currently availanle of Prince Ludwig in a dress. He could have been breeched later in the year or perhaps 1851 or evenb later. We also do not know if Prince Otto was blater breeched at the same age or if his breeching was moved up once his older brother was breeched. We have not been avle to learn if there was some kind of family creemony for the event, perhaps asociated with a birthdy.







Christopher Wagner








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Created: May 4, 2002
Last updated: May 4, 2002