Figure 1.--This a cabinet portrait shows two children. They are unidentified, but obviously siblings. The younger child is probably a girl, but we are not positive. He or she wears a dark dress. We are unsure anout the color. The dress is rather plain with a largevlasce collar and a long skirt. The boy is wearing a two piece suit with knee length pants and long stockings. Printed on the bottom "Phillips & Bergstresser, Danville, Illinois." The portrait is undated, but looks like the late-1880s to us.

American girls wore a range of skirted garments. By far the most important was dresses until the late-20th century. American girls like girls in other countries wore dresses throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. Younger boys also wore dresses. Girls also wore skirts, but we are unsure how commonly. They do not seem to show up much in the photographic record, but this may be because girls dressed up for studio portraits. We do not know a great deal about dresses at this time. We believe dress styles were largely set in Europe throughout the 19h century. We do not, however, know to what extent American and European dress styles varied. We want to develop information on fashion trends over time. We also want to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles. This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. We notice many different styles of dresses. We see Empire dresses, jacketed dresses, A-Line dresses , pinafore dresses, and any other styles. One popular style was sailor dresses. Girls continued to wear dresses in the 20th century. One exception to wearing dresses was the bloomers girls wore for gym class in the early-20th dentury. Only after World War II do we commonly see girls wearing other garments. Skirts were popular, but through the 1960s girls commonly wore dresses. Of course girls still wear dresses, but for many girls, dresses have become a less important even minor garments, reserved for dress up occassions.

Prevalence

American girls wore a range of skirted garments. By far the most important was dresses until the late-20th century. American girls like girls in other countries wore dresses throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. Younger boys also wore dresses. Girls also wore skirts, but we are unsure how commonly. They do not seem to show up much in the photographic record, but this may be because girls dressed up for studio portraits.

Fashion Influences

We do not know a great deal about dresses at this time. We believe dress styles were largely set in Europe throughout the 19h century. We do not, however, know to what extent American and European dress styles varied.

Chronology

Chronological information on girls' dresses will be very useful to HBC. It will be useful in pursuing several themes. We have some early information, but large numbers of informatiion only becone available in the mid=19th century because of photography. We want to develop information on dress fashion trends over time. We also want to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles, especially in the 19th century when younger boys still commonly wire dresses. This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. Girls continued to wear dresses in the 20th century. One exception to wearing dresses was the bloomers girls wore for gym class in the early-20th dentury. We begin to see girls wearing other garjments after World War I, but only for casual summer wear at camp or around the home. Only after World War II do we commonly see girls wearing other garments. Skirts were popular, but through the 1960s girls commonly wore dresses. Of course girls still wear dresses, but for many girls, dresses have become a less important even minor garments, reserved for dress up occassions.

Styling

We notice many different styles of dresses. We see Empire dresses, jacketed dresses, A-Line dresses , pinafore dresses, and many other styles. One popular style was sailor dresses. We notice an unidentified girl wearing an early print dress about 1850. Our knowledge of dress styles is limited. We hope to eventully be able to date these images which would helop grately in our ability to date the many images we have archived in our site. A great deal has been written about women's dress styles. This is a great focus of fashion historians. Women's fasgons of course infkluence girl's styles, but were not identical. We hope to leasr more as we add images and exoabnd our site. We welcome reader input here.

Elements

Dresses have several different construction elements. The major ones are necklines and collars, bodice, sleeves, waistline, skirt, and hems. Necklines and collars varied from low necklines without collars, to high elanborate collars. The bodice is the heart of the dress with the different elemnts built around it. Dresses were done both sleevless as well as with long sleves with elaborte cuffs. Dresses might be done without waistlines as well as destinct waistlines and elborate waistbands, including large back bows. The slirts were dome in vrious ways from plain to more developed styles like pleats. And finally the hems varies from below the ankle to extremly short high above he knees in the mini-skirt era. These stylistic elements varied chronologically as well as with the age of the child. There were enumeralble variation between the extemes noted above. There are countless variations of these major elements as the way of balancing the elements to achieve a pleasing and stylistic look. And the various elements varied over time, both the style and importance.

Fabric Patterns

Fabric paterns are both woven and printed. The technolgy for both existed by the time America was established. Plaid was a populr woven pattern,bit there were others. Thes were often dlom on heavy wollen garments. Printed paterns were much more diverse. They were espeially popular on light weight nd light-colored cloth cloth for summer dresses and the print could be almost anything. Vlico dresses were common as was ginham. Print dresses existed in the 19th century, but we do not notice many until the 20th century. We are not entirely sure why this was. Perhaps we have just not noticed it. We also see dark prints, alrgough we are not sure just when they first appeared. Plaid was not only a woven pattern. There were alsp plaid print dresses, although we are not sure just when they began to be produced. One interesting development is that during the depression, flour comapnies began to do their sacks in prints that could be used for dress making matrial. This is a topic that we need to work on more. Perhaps reader will be able to add insights.

Colors

Color was much more imprtant and more varies for girls dresses than boys suits which were largely confined to muted colors like black, blue, brown, and grey. Girls dresses could include a variety of bright colors likered and yellow as well as brighter and lighter shades of blue than boys wore. Unfotunately in the 19th and early-20 centuries we hace mostly black and white photographic images. So our the photographic record has only limited relevence to color assessments. There are two exceptions, black and white. White is relatively easy to identify. And we have archived a large number of images with girls wearing white dresses. A good example is the Keck girls, we think in the 1910s. Even light shades can usually be differentiated from white. White ws a popular color in the 19h and early-20th centurty because unlike colored dresses, it stood upnto laundering without fading like colored fabrics did. It was akso a popular seasonal (summer) color. We see countless images of girls wearing white summer frocks. This declined in the mid-19th century by which time laundry detergents has improved and air condition made summer dress less important than it once was. Black is a little more difficult, but can usually also be identified.

Created: 1:37 AM7:03 AM 2/9/2010
Last updated: 10:51 AM 1/15/2019