Figure 1.--This family snapshot shows American children on a trike in 1949. That was just how I was dressed at the time. Modern mothers no doubt would be horrified with the boy's knife. The children were in Cleveland, Ohio.

We know little about the colder weather gear boys wore until the 19th century and largely thanks to photography. The French invented photography (1839). And about that time America was begining to build what would become a huge industrisl economy and once that was propelling Americans into the prosperous middle class Boys at the time had very limited wardrobes. As the textile industry developed, clothing costs declined. And rising income levels gradually meant that Americanse increasingly better dressed. And by the turn-of-the 20th century were the best dressed in the world, not like moodern children, but better than contemporary boys. And this only increased as the American economy grew. Boys commonly wore suits in the 19th century anf had coats for winter. Overcoats were common for boys from from middle-class city families. In the 20th centutry, sweaters and appeared and jaclkets commonly became more important.

Created: 5:39 AM 2/14/2023
Last updated: 5:39 AM 2/14/2023