Figure 1.-- Here we see girls in Columbus, Georgia during 1913. Note the turned-down straw hats and print dresses as wekk as the saili inffluence on two of the dresses. We are not sure what the baskets are for, perhaps it is market day.

Girls fashions contiuned after the turn-of-the 20th century with only limnited changes until after World War I. Although stylistic changed, well-to-do women wore fancy dresses and so did their dughters. We see the same fancy outfits and elaborate hats, athough hairbows became very popular with girls, including teenagers (1910s). Girls conducted a virtual arms race to see who could have the largest bow. Long hair was praised. All girls wore skirted garments. dresses. It was virtually the only basic garment girls wore. While the dress was the basic woman's harment, working women tended to wear a blouse and skirt. At school we see far more girls wearing dresses than blouses and skirts. Long stockings were standard. Both boys and girls wore black long stockings, the girls and younger boys sometimes also wore white stockings. Footwear was more varied than that of the boys. We see both low-tops and high top shoes. All this began to change with World War I (1914-18). The War emergency made the frivolity of pre-War fashion seem absurd. And for the first time we see women wearing pants which became very common in war plants. Such practical matters rose in importance and we begin to see affecting fashion after the War. Women got the vote (1919) and opportunities began opening up in college and acreers. This was reflected in fashiom. Decorations became much plainer. Hair got bobbed. The new hair styles were accompanied by the helnet-like cloche hat, which closely covered the head. Skirt hemlines rose steadily to become for a time knee length (1925-27). With shorter skirts, flesh-coloured stockings were introduced. We begin to see girls wearing short pants and rompers, but only for casual summer wear. The Girl Scouts and popularity of summer camping were factors here. Long stockings declined, but did not disappear. We begin to see more and more girls wraring socks. Shirley Temple popularized very short hem lines for younger girls as well as a return to long curls. World War II again had a fashiom impact. With men and women in uniform or war indudstries (1941–45). there was another fashion impact. Skirts again approached a practical knee length. During the War austerity meant limitations on clothing, although not as severe as in Eurppe. Again fashion did not have a high priority. We see 'utility' and the discardiung of unneeded trimmings. After World War II, we begin to see girls wearing rompers, short pants and even long pants, at first for casual wear. Girls continued wearing dresses or skirts to school. Pants become more common, although not at school for some time. We see girls, by the 1970s, wearing pants more and more. At first capri pants were popular (1950s). And we finally see pants at school. Jeans became fashionable with the invention of designer jeans (1960s). These trends occured first in America, but gradually took hold in Europe and other areas. The mini-skirt became amajor style (1970s).

The 1900s

Girls fashions contiuned after the turn-of-the 20th century with only limnited changes in yhe 1900s. Thius wsas the Ewardian era. There were chnges, but not yet dramatic changes as in boys clothing. Girls clothing tnded to be elborate and styles were set by the well to do.

The 1910s

We begin to see sunstantial changes in girls clothing during the 1910s. Here World War I. was mjor factor driving chsange. Although stylistic changed, well-to-do women wore fancy dresses and so did their daughters. We see the same fancy outfits and elaborate hats, athough hairbows, sometimes gigantic, became extrodinarily popular with girls, including teenagers (1910s). Girls conducted a virtual arms race to see who could have the largest bow. We also see a vriety of hats, some highly decorted. Fob turned fims were popular. Long hair was praised. All girls wore skirted garments. dresses. It was virtually the only basic garment girls wore. Virtually the only exception was the bloomers girls wore for high school gym. While the dress was the basic woman's harment, working women tended to wear a blouse and skirt. At school we see far more girls wearing dresses than blouses and skirts. Long stockings were standard. Both boys and girls wore black long stockings, the girls and younger boys someimes also wore white stockings. Footwear was more varied than that of the boys. We see both low-tops and high top shoes. All this began to change with World War I (1914-18). The War emergency made the frivolity of pre-War fashion seem absurd. And for the first time we see women wearing pants which became very common in war plants. Women and girls worked in mills, indutrial fctories were the mainsty of men and noys--but by the 1910s boys were being phased out. And in fctories women wore work clothes--commonly pants. Such practical matters rose in importance and we begin to see affecting fashion after the War.

The 1920s

Women got the vote (1919) and opportunities began opening up in college and acreers. This was reflected in fashiom. Decorations became much plainer. Hair got bobbed. The new hair styles were accompanied by the helmet-like cloche hat, which closely covered the head. Skirt hemlines rose steadily to become for a time knee length (1925-27). With shorter skirts, flesh-coloured stockings were introduced. We begin to see girls wearing short pants and rompers, but only for casual summer wear. The Girl Scouts and popularity of summer camping were factors here. Long stockings declined, but did not disappear. We begin to see more and more girls wraring socks.

The 1930s

Shirley Temple popularized very short hem lines for younger girls as well as a return to long curls. The 1929 Wall Street Crash was turned by the Federal eserve nd otherf misdirected givernmnt policies into the Great Depression. This had a huge impct on fashion, in large part becuse many families did not hve the mony to buy clothes or had to dignificntly cut back on purchases.

The 1940s

The 1940s was dominted by the tragedy of World War II. Again the War had a substantial fashiom impact. With men and women in uniform or war indudstries (1941–45). there was another fashion impact. Skirts again approached a practical knee length. During the War austerity meant limitations on clothing, although not as severe as in Eurppe. Again fashion did not have a high priority. We see 'utility' and the discardiung of unneeded trimmings. After World War II, we begin to see girls wearing rompers, short pants and even long pants, at first for casual wear.

The 1950s

Girls continued wearing dresses or skirts to school. Pants become more common, although not at school for some time. Capri pants were popular (1950s). These were some of the fitst pants widely worn by girls.

The 1960s

We finally see girls wearing pants at school. This began in orimary chool, and by the end of the dcade finally became common in high schools as well.

The 1970s

There were major changes in girls clothes durung the 1970s. The changes which began in the laye-1960s became well established during the 1970s. Hippies and feminists had a major impct on the 70s. There were other factors at play. The War in Vietnam, industrial decline, increasing costs for gaslone, as well as seemingly unrelated matters such as central heating and air conditioning all affected clothing and fashion. This was the decde in which the Hippies which appeared in the 1960s had the greatest impact. The Hippies of the 1960s were mostly older teenagers and college students. Hippy-influenced fashions reached primary-age gorls in the 70s. Perhaps the most notable development for girls was a kind of unprecedented fashion freedom that girls had never enjoyed before. Until the mid-1960s, girls had worn dreses. There were exceptions. During the summer girls might wear short pants or for caual wear they might even wear jeans, but most girls most of the time wore dresses and skirts. We can see that in school portraits. The most notable change for girls was they more and more girls wore boys' styles. Notably this same freedom did not extend to boys, other than long hair. Boys wanted no part of girls' clothes. The most important of those garments were of course pants, usully jeans and not just for play. We see girls going to school in all kinds of jeans and other colorful pants. Gurls like to decorate their jeans. Bell-bottoms were popular and ialso jeans thst looked well worn. Girls till wore dresses, but from the 70s it was a matter of choice. We notice many popular trends. One was the bell-shaped flared skirt. A popular fad was the kaftan

Created: 4:11 AM 6/22/2020
Last updated: 4:11 AM 6/22/2020