Figure 1.--This is Pearl and Inez Gulick at age 7 years. They were photographed together wearing identical dresses and checkered pinafores (I'm not positive they would have used this term) during 1890 in Lincolnm Nebraska. Note that their hair is also done identically, but not in ringlets even though the 1890s was the height of popularity of Fauntleroy ringlets for boys.

Avaiable images confirm that twin sisters were commonly dressed alike in the 19th century. Of course this almost always meant identical dresses at the time. We believe that this was the case throughout the 21st century, but there are of course mang more photographic images available for the late 19th century when photography was more developed and less expensive. We believe that while both boys and girls were commonly dressed alike in the 19th and even early 20th century, it was more common to dress older sisters alike than older bothers. Of course one problem in the 19th centiry is that it is not always possible to dertermine if younger children were boys are girls because boys not uncommonly wore dresses.

The girls in this 1890 image wear plain dresses with identicakmlace trim. The appear to be wearing identical checked bib-front pinafores, but they may not have called it a pinafore as it extends down to their shoes, longer than most pinafores. The girls also have identically styled hair. The 1890s was the peak of the Little Lord Fauntleroy ringlet curl fashion for boys. Mrs. Burnett had just published her story in 1885. The image looks as if te girl's hair weas not done in ringlets. A HBC reader suggests there may be ringlets in the back. Almost all the boys with ringlet curk hair styles have their ringlets carefully layed on theor shoulders so that they show for best effect. Also note that the girls do not have hair bows. Bu the turn of the century in 1900, hair bows were much more common.

Created: June 6, 2002
Last updated: June 7, 2002