Figure 1.--This English photograph was probably taken in the 1870s. It shows a boy who looks to be about 9 or 10 and still wearing dresses.

Boys throught Europe, Britain, and America in the 19th century wore dresses when young. I most cases these were pre-school ages boys. In other instances we note school-age boys still wearing dresses. Presumably these were boys being schooled at home. There were various differences from country to country. Not only did dress styles vary, but the fasdhion of outfitting boys in dresses varied from country to country over time. We notice differences in the pervasiness of this convetion, the style of dresses, the age of the boys, and various other factors.

Details on these differences are not yet available, but HBC has begun to assess this question.

America

As in Europe, it was very common for American boys to wear dresses when young, although conventios varied greatly from family to family. Much of the HBC overall discussion of dresses and other skirted garments has dealt primarily with America. This is due primarily on HBC's greater access to information and images about America. Thus much of our information on American dresses worn by boys is in the overall dress section. One important development in America was the appearance of boy-styled dresses in the late 19th century, especially by the 1880s. HBC assumes that similar developments occurred in European countries, but can not conform this at this time. We have only begun to archive some specifically American information here.

Belgium

China

HBC has virtually no information on Chinese boys' clothes. We do note a 1999 report that parents in one Chinese village dresses many boys like girls. While we have noted some similar accounts from other countries, this is the only current example of this that we know bout. The report indicates, "The apparent number of girls receiving an education in Caohai exceeds the actual count. Among the little girls I thought were attending the local primary school there turned out to be, to my not inconsiderable surprise, a sizable corps of little boys dressed as girls. I soon learned that some boys, even to the age of six or seven, are "disguised" as girls, with pigtails and pink ribbons, because male children are thought to be more prone to illness and death than are female children. Dressing a boy as a girl may fool the bearers of disease and death. My new rule of thumb is that the more girlish a child's attire, the more likely that under the skirts will be a boy. [Melinda Herrold, The cranes of Caohai and other incidents of fieldwork in southwestern China, Geographical Review, July 1, 1999]

Croatia

We note younger Croatian boys wearing dresses in the 19th century. This was a commonn practice in Europe. We do not know how common it was Croatia or how it may have compared to other countries. We suspect that in the major cities the fashion was similar to that in other provincial cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We do not have a sufficient archive of ikjages to make real assessment at this time.

England

At this time HBC has little information on England beyond information about the Brotish royal family. A few available images does show that some boys continued to wear dresses beyond the normal breeching age of 4 to 6 years of age. It is likely that fewer older boys wore dresses than in the rest of Europe. This is because it was very common in the 19th century, especially by the late 19th century, for British boys from affluent families to be sent to boarding school, often beginning at about 8 years of age. Thus there breeching would have to take place a least by this age. While younger boys of all social and economic classes wore dresses in the 19th century, it was primarily the boys from affluent families that wore them beyond the normal age of breeching.

France

Some limited information suggests that it was more common for French boys to wear dresses than boys in many European countries. French boys also seemed to have worn dresses to an older age than boys elsewhere in Europe. As in other European countries, social class and wealth appears to have been a factor here. I am unsure if the more common use of smocks in France was a factor affecting breeching and dresses. HBC has acquired a variety of images, but very little written information to help interpre the images.

Germany

Young German boys like boys in other European countries wore dresses. In the early and mid-19th century, these dresses were just like the ones their sister's wore. HBC has only limited information pn this fashion in Germay. We do not yet have enough information for a full page. The link here takes you to a 1838 portrait where a brother and sister wear the same dress style. HBC has also noted the future Kaiser Wilhelm II about 1860 wearing a dress.

Ireland

Irish boys in some rural areas of Ireland Irish boys were commonly outfitted in dresses until they were 12 or 13 years old. This practice was most common in rural areas, but it was not unknown in towns. Folk lore warned mothers to hide their boys from the "faries," so they were dressed as girls, usually in long flannel dresses. I have little information on these flannel dresses. Much of the information described below is derived solely from an examination of the available photographic images. Please let me know if you have any additional information or note anything in the photographs.

Italy

HBC has no information on Italy at this time, but believes it was quite common for Italian boys to wear dresses.

Netherlands

We have no information about the dresses Dutch boys wore before breeching. The only information we have noted about the Netherlands is the fact the boys on Marken Island use to wear dresses.

Scotland

One Scot reports, "In rural Scotland this fashion continued well into the 1930s. Before my first haircut (February 1938, aged 4½) in my frocks and smocks, I looked like a Shirley Temple clone." [Ronald Fraser, The Times, (London) November 29, 2002.]

Created: January 1, 1998
Last updated: 8:15 PM 8/27/2006