Figure 1.--This charming American family portarit is undated. The clothing and hair styles as well as the photograph format lead us to believe that it was taken about 1900. Mother has outfitted the children differently, but both boys wear sailor outfits--one a tunic and the other a middy blouse. The boy in the tunic has his hair coordinated with his sister, but note the different part. |
HBC has done some work with families whose mothers have dressed the children identically or with coordinate outfits. The fashion of family hair styles also needed to be addressed. Here the size of the family and the desparity in ages among the children influenced the mother's decissions. We have just begun to address family hair styles. We need to persue both the styles and some of the issues emerging from these family portraits. We know for example that some mothers dressed their younger children alike--both boys and girls. Here families differed. Some children wre dressed differently and a few identically. Other mothers coordinated outfits in an age graded system. We believe it was less common to style the children's hair alike, but we have noted a few instances where mothers did so. And we are not yet sure how mothers coordinate their hair styling choices with their approach to clothing.
HBC has done some work with families whose mothers have dressed the children identically or with coordinate outfits. Generations of mothers dressed their children, in some cases both sons and daughters,
identically or in similar outfits--convinced this was a charming fashion. This was a simple matter in the 18th and much of the 19th Century. As little boys wore dresses just like their sisters, it was easy to ooutfit the boys and girls in identical. At the time it ws
considered in appropriate to outfit girls in boys clothes. As distinctive dress styles for little boys developed in the late 19th Century and the fashion of dressing little boys in dresses disappeared after World War I (1914-19), this became more difficult. Many
nothers, however, still wanted to dress their children similarly. Thus styles outfits with girls dresses and coordinate boys outfits were developed.
A number of background factors affect these decissions about clothing and hair styles.
A variety of variable factors affected the choices made by the mother. Here the size of the family and the desparity in ages among the children influenced the mother's decissions. It was quite accepted in the 19th century that younger childrn could be dressed alike and many hair styles could be worn byyounger boys. s more children arrived and some of th boys got older, then mother ned to make some choices.
In most 19th century families, it was generlly themother who made decissions about the clothing and hair styles of the younger children. This was especially true of pre-school children. This was not always the case, but it was the general pattern.
The fashion of family hair styles also needed to be addressed.
We have just begun to address family hair styles. We need to persue both the styles and some of the issues emerging from these family portraits. We have noted quite a range of hair styles over time. Whikle these styles are quite varied, a relaively small number od styles have been worn by boys. Girls styles have been more varied. Information on the specific boys hair styles worn such as short hairt, bangs, ringlets, hair bows, and other styles are assessed in the style pages. We also have some information on girls' hair styles. While boys and girls often have their hair styled differently. Over time most hair styles have been worn by both boys and girls. We know for example that some mothers dressed their younger children alike--both boys and girls. Here families differed. Some children were dressed differently and a few identically. Other mothers coordinated outfits in an age graded system. We believe it was less common to style the children's hair alike, but we have noted a few instances where mothers did so. And we are not yet sure how mothers coordinate their hair styling choices with their approach to clothing. Note in the image here that mother has outfitted the boys similarly--both wear sailor fashions. The younger boy wears a sailor tunic, his older brothr a middy blouse. The younger boy has had his hair coordinated with that of his sister. Both wear ringlets and hair bows. There hair is not, however not done identically. Note the different parts and placement of the hairbows (figure 1).
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