Dutch Boys' Clothes: Skirted Garments


Figure 1.--.

We see Dutch boys wear a variety of skirted garments. Younger Dutch boys like other European boys for several centuries commonly wore dresses for several years before they were breeched and began to wear trousers like their fathers. HBC at this time has little information about this practice in the Netherlands. Available imagesm however, provide some information on the styles of dresses worn over time. As in the rest of Europe, this practice began to decline after the turn of the 20th century. HBC has little information about Dutch boys wearing smocks. We do not believe that they were as common as in some neighboring Belgium. Some images from the turn of the century do show Dutch boys wearing pinafore-like smocks. A Dutch source reports that boys did wear smocks, but not as a part of the school clothing like in France/Spain/Italy. Smocks are called "boerenkiel" (kiel=smock for boeren=peasants) and were common in rural areas until about the mid-1930s. Smocks declined in popularity in the 1940s and especially the 1950s. By the late 1950s they were only being worn by younger boys.

Dresses

Younger Dutch boys like other European boys for several centuries commonly wore dresses for several years before they were breeched and began to wear trousers like their fathers. HBC at this time has little information about this parctice in the Netherlands. Available imagesm however, provide some information on the styles of dresses worn over time. As in the rest of Europe, this practice began to decline after the turn of the 20th century.

Kilts

We have not yet noted boys wearing kilts, but our information is still limited. We do not think that Dutch boys wore Highland kilts toany extent. We suspect, however, that boys did wear kilt suits in the lte 19th century. We can not yet confirm thus because of our limited 19th century archive of Dutch images.

Tunics

Dutch boys must have worn tunics in the 19th century. We believe that they were common throughout Europe. Unfortunztely we have very little information on the Netherlands during the 19th century. Another problem is tht there are many similarities between a smovk znd tunic and the two garments are difficult to destinguish. This seems especially the case in the Netherlands as we see garments with rather destinctive styling and it is not all together clear of they are smocks or tunics. We do believe Dutch boys wore tunics, especially at the turn-of-the 20th century. Tunics were widely worn in all the countries surrounding the Netherlands at the turn of the century (Germany, France and England). So they must have been worn in the Netherlands as well.

Smocks

HBC has little information about Dutch boys wearing smocks. We do not believe that they were as common as in some neighboring Belgium. Some images from the turn of the century do show Dutch boys wearing pinafore-like smocks. A Dutch source reports that boys did wear smocks, but not as a part of the school clothing like in France/Spain/Italy. Smocks are called "boerenkiel" (kiel=smock for boeren=peasants) and were common in rural areas until about the mid-1930s. Smocks declined in popularity in the 1940s and especially the 1950s. By the late 1950s they were only being worn by younger boys.

Pinafores

Dutch children commonly wore pinafores in the 19th century. They were most common for girls, but younger boys also wore them. This was also the case in the early-20th century. A good example is a rural scene about 1910. This changed dramatically after World War I. We are not entirely sure why.





HBC





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Created: 5:29 PM 10/23/2008
Last updated: 5:01 PM 12/2/2009