*** Belgian boys clothes : garments--dresses








Belgian Boys Clothes: Garments--Dresses

Belgian boy dreses
Figure 1.--A HBC contributor believes this little boy is from Ghent, Belgium.On the CDV it is written in French "Gand". He looks to be wearing a jacket and skirt rather like a kilt suit rather than dress. Notice the plaid-like material. The portrait looks to be from the late 1880s.

Younger Belgian boys, as in the rest of Europe, wore dresses well into the 20th century. HBC has noted two different types of dress outfits. One our full dresses indestinguishable from the dresses their sisters wore. In fact they may have worn hand-me-downs from an older sister or other relative. The styles generally followed those worn by women, but in reduced styles. While boys by the early 19th century were wearing specialized clothing styles, this was less true for the dresses worn by girls and younger boys. The other basic dress type were skirts, presumably bodice skirts, worn with matching or coordinated jackets and vests. Pantalets were commonly worn with dresses until the late 19th century.

Chronology

Younger Belgian boys, as in the rest of Europe, wore dresses well into the 20th century. We have only limited chronolgical information on dress trends in Belgium and how they compared tonthe rest of Europe. The cusyom of younger boys wearing dresses appears to have been widespread throughout the 19th cerntury and only began to decline in popularity in the 1890s and turn of the 20th century. By the 1890s it was becomng less common boys tonwerar dresses beyonf the age of 5 years. The custom did not entirely disappear until after World War I (1914-18). The chrnolgiucal trends are believed to have been quite similar to French trends, especially in French speaking Walonia. Trends in Dutch speaking Flanders mnay have also been influenced by Dutch and German trends.

Ages

We still have only limited information about the age of boys wearing dresses. We belkieve that most boys wore dresseses through age four, but beginning about age 5 began to be breeched. In sme cases tunics were worn as a kind of bridge garment for bys throufgh about age 7 or 8 years. Other boys worte dresses beyound age 5. There were cnsuiderable differences among families, largely based ion the fasgion sence of the mother and the invlvement of the father. Other factors such as economic and class status and the chronolgcal period also affected ghe age of breeching.

Types

HBC has noted two different types of dress outfits. We are not sure about the chronology of these two types. One type was full dresses indestinguishable from the dresses their sisters wore. In fact they may have worn hand-me-downs from an older sister or other relative. This type was worn in the 18th and early 19th century, but became less dominate by the mid-19th century. The other basic dress type were skirts, presumably bodice skirts, worn with matching or coordinated jackets and vests. We do not lnow when this type first appeared, but we note it pictured in fashion magazines by the mid-19th century. HBC is not sure at this time to what extent women and girls also wore the jacket and skirt outfits.

Jacket and skirt: 1852

A Belgian fashion magazine in 1852 pictures a boy of 6 wearing a black bodice skirt with blue trim. It has a small matching jacket which is not partof the skirt. It is worn with a contrasting white vest and Eton collar with a small white bow. He also a stylish plumed hat and pantalets.

Syles

The styles generally followed those worn by women, but in reduced styles. While boys by the early 19th century were wearing specialized clothing styles, this was less true for the dresses worn by girls and younger boys.

Social Class Trends

One factor in boys wearing dresses was social class. Poor boys would wear vert simple dresses while boys from affluent familiers could wear very stylish fancy dresses. Poor boys might more commonly wear hand-me-downs. However hand-me-downs were not just worn by poor boys. As august a figure as Queen Victoria bragged about the economy of using outfgrown clohes on younger siblings. Thus a boy with an older sister might wear dresses longer than one with an older brother. Another factor is that poor children might be breeched earlier than younger children who might lead a more closeted life in the nursery.

Pantaletts

Pantalets were commonly worn with dresses until the late 19th century. HBC has very few sources of information on Belgian pantalettes. We begin to note then in the early 19th century. We believe that they were widely worn by younger Belgian boys in the early 19th century. Boys wore pantalettes with both dresses and tunics. They ranged from the very plain to quite elaborate. Lengths changed over time in line with dress hems and conventions of modesty. It was considered proper in the early 19th century to cover the legs of even veryyoung children. There appears to have been a social class factor involved with boys from wealthy families more likely to wear them. The fashions involved appear to have been primarily French styles. Our information at this time is primarily based on available images from Belgian fashion magazines.

Tunics

A related skirted garment worn by yonger boys was the tunic. This was used by some mothers as a bridge garment beyween dresses and trousers. Dresses wre usually worn with pantalets rather than trousers. Tunics were commonly worn with both pantalets and then as the boy got older, trousers.






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Created: August 21, 2001
Last updated: August 21, 2001