Figure 1.-This photograph was from a family album. It is a Yokohama street scene. The dealer dates it to 1925. We might have dated it a little earlier. The children are still wearing traditional garments, the yongest one with a plain white pinafore. The older boy's cap suggest that he has begun school.

Japanese boys did not commonly wear Western style skirted garments. It was common in the West for younger boys to werar skirted garments like their sisters through the 19th century. This convention never developed in Japan. By the time Japanese children began wearing Western dress to any extebnt , abaically after World War I 1920s), Western boys were no longrr wearing skirted garments. Of course Japanese children did wear traditional garmrnts that were essentially skirted. They did not, however, have the gender assocaation that Western skirted garments had. We see Japanese boys and girls wearing the same robe-like kinomnos. But here we are talking about Western skirted garments. We do see two skirted garments in Japan. We note younger children wearing what looks like a Western skirted garment--the pinafore. We are not entirely sure that this was a Western garment. And as far as we can tell it was only for younger children. And the pinafores we have seen are very plain. We also see a few children weearing smocks, but they do not see very common. We see some being used as schoolwear.

Pinafores

We have noted younger children wearing what looks like a Western skirted garment--the pinafore. This would have protected the garment, the same purpose as in the West. Japan was a poor courty and clothing was an expensive item for most families. Thus poor families in particular had to do what they could to prorect clothing. We are not entirely sure that this was a Western garment. It may have been worn before Japan's opening, but we have no confirmation of that. Our 19th century Japanese archive is very limited. As far as we can tell, the pinarore was only for younger children. At least those are the only examples we have found in the photographic record. It was not widely worn by older girls as in the West. And the pinafores we have seen are very plain, basic garments. We have not found the dressy, decorative pinafors as worn in the West for special occassioins. They look to be worn exclusively by pre-school children. We are mot sure if they were worn in the 19th century. We do see some examples in the early-20th centuyry. The boy here is s good example .at the turn-of-the 20th century (figure 1). We also notice a 1950s example, but that was the last example we have found.

Smocks

We have little information about Japanese smocks. As far as we can tell, few Japanese boys have worn smocks. The only photograph we have found has been a Japanese boy, probably about 1930 wearing what looks like a smock. The time line here is relatively narrow because until after World War I, Japanese boys mostly wore traditional clothes. The major exception here appears to be schoolwear. We see some modern pre-school children wearing smocks. This appdears to be fairly common in pre-schools. We are not sure about the chronology here. We have yet to see boys wearing smocks, however, in primary school.

Dresses

We fo not notice younger boys wearing dresses as in the West. Not do we nogice girls eraring dresses in the 19th centurty. We begin to see girls wearing dresses in the 20thbcentury, mostly after World War I in the 1920s. The first dresses we note to any extent are school unifiems, niotably sailor dresses.

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Created: 12:41 PM 9/29/2020
Last updated: 11:14 PM 11/16/2020