Barefoot Boy Garments: Blouses


Figure 1.--The blouses worn by younger boys were often light colors. There were, however, also dark colored blouses as well. Not the fancy collars on the dark-colored blouses that these boys wear.

Background Information

Some background information is needed in assessing the images of barefoot boys in the early 20th century. These factors pertain to all the dressy or more formal outfits worn by boys. Studio photographic protraits taken in the late 19th century rarely showed boys wearing suits without shoes. We believe that this was because the boys were dressed up for their portraits. Some of the boys in these portraits almost certainly went barefoot in the summer. We believe that this was especially true in the South and West. We do have some photographic evidence of this from the 1900s and 1910s because the Kodak Brownie was released in 1900, making amateur snapshots feasible for virtually any family, except thise in abject poverty. During the 1920s in became much less common for boys to go barefoot when wearing suits or other dress outfits, although many boys did continue going barefoot when wearing casual clothes. We believe that this was especially true in the south and west in rural areas and small towns. It is usually difficult to tell and most of these images are not labeled. The background, however, can offer some clues. We believe that the boys in these photographs showing the boys going barefoot was the way they actually dressed. This was not just for play and around the house, but for school or even going to church. It is possible that boys took their shoes and socks off after church, but we would have thought that if they had done so, that they would have taken their dress outfits off as well. In fact we know that some boys did go bare foot to church and other events. We know this because we have seen images of weddings and other affairs where the younger boys are barefoot.

Blouses

We note many younger boys up to about 10 or 11 years of age would wear fanncy blouses without jackets. Thi was especially common for younger boys of 4-8 years of age. Almost always these blouses, often with large collars, were worn with kneepants. Mostly the blouses were light colored, but there some dark colored blouses as well as stipped blouses as well. We believe that these blouses were worn with jackets, but in the summer it was just too hot. Adults and the older boys just had to suffer as it was considered a breach of etiuette to appear in pubic wihout a jacket. For the younger boys, however, it was considered accptable, just as they could also go barefoot.

Image

The blouses worn by younger boys were often light colors. There were, however, also dark colored blouses as well. Not the fancy collars on the dark-colored blouses that these boys wear. We are not sure about the date of this image, but would guess about 1900. Note that this is not a snapshot. It looks rather like an inexpensive professional portrait, perhaps taken at a county fair.







Christopher Wagner





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Created: August 18, 2002
Last updated: August 18, 2002