Coordinated Family Outfits: Styles


Figure 1.--Here we see an example of a mother usung a sailor suit to coordinate the clothing of her children. three thrre American children, we think from Oklahoma. The portrait is undated, but we woulf guess was taken about 1910. The two older children wear sailor suits styled slightly differently. We assume that they are brother and sister, although as we have no provinance there is no way to be sure. We have seen many boys wearing ringlets curls like this. Here age would be a factor. The child at right looks older than the charge at the left which is why we think the child at the right may be a girl.

Brothers and sisters have been dressed alike or at leasted dressed in coordinated fashion in several different garments and styles. Some garments are more common than others. The most common has been smocks and sailor suits, but many other identical styles have been worn by the children in a family. In the 19th Century some mothers outfitted their children in identical dresses, at least when the boys were younger. The age for boys wearing dresses, however, varied widely from family to family. Most boys were breeched at about 5 years of age. Some boys, however, were breeched earalier and others kept in dresses longer. Some boys still wore dresses at 10 years or even on rare occasions older. Thus there were some families that had several children wearing identical or similar dresses. We have noted some mothers outfitted their children, at leat the younger ones in pinafores. Smocks were widely worn on the continent, but less so in England and America. They were a ueful style for mother wishingbto dress the children alike, a least for informal home wear. They were also widely used in orphanages and work houses for dressing all the children alike. Families in the late 19th Century were often quite large. Mothers enamored with the Fauntleroy style had the decission to make of how to dress all of the children. The mothers of the day adopted all sorts of alternatives from identical or coordinated outfits for all children to completely different outfits for each child.

Dresses

Many mothers liked to dress their children in identical or coordiated outfits. In the 19th Century this mean having the children wear identical dresses, at least when the boys were younger. The age for boys wearing dresses, however, varied widely from family to family. Most boys were breeched at about 5 years of age. Some boys, however, were breeched earalier and others kept in dresses longer. Some boys still wore dresses at 10 years or even on rare occasions older. Thus there were some families that had several children wearing identical or similar dresses.

Pinafores

We have noted some mothers outfitted their children, at leat the younger ones in pinafores. Sometimes this mean identical pinafores. More often it meant similar pinafores. Usually boys stoped wearing pinafores at an earlier age than the girls.

Smocks

Smocks were widely worn on the continent, but less so in England and America. They were a ueful style for mother wishing to dress the children alike, a least for informal home wear. We have seen several images show an entire family in identical smocks at least until the children reached a certain age. Siomee times the girls wore the smocks to an older age than the boys. They were also widely used in orphanages and work houses for dressing all the children alike.

Fauntleroy Suits

The Fauntleroy rage began in 1885-86 after the publication of Mrs. Burnett's s famous book. Fancy velvet suits for boys began appearing in the early 1880s, but did not begin to take its final form in the popular mind until the population of Mrs Burnett's book Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1885-86. Families in the late 19th Century were often quite large. Mothers enamored with the Fauntleroy style had the decission to make of how to dress all of the children. The mothers of the day adopted all sorts of alternatives from identical or coordinated outfits for all children to completely different outfits for each child. The alternatives were further complicated by the need to breech boys as they got older and related choices on hair styles

Sailor Suits

Sailor suits were first worn by boys, but by the 1880s were being worn by girls as well. Few styles were ever as popular for boys and girls as the sailor suit. Boths parents and children liked sailor suits. Sailor suits were thus particularly suitable for dressing the entire family in coordinated outfits. Both boys and girls could be dressed in sailor suits, the girls wearing skirts and the boys pants. The younger boys could be dressed in sailor kilts or skirts just like the girls. Boys in America and Britain after the turn of the 20th Century didn't generally wear sailor suits after about 8-10 years of age, but on the continent they were worn by older boys making it possible to dress the entire family in sailor suits for several years. While today it is usually the traditionally styled sailor suit that comes to mind, there were in fact virtually endless variations possible with sailor syits. Thus brohers and sisters could wear identical outfits or simply variously coordinted outfits. This was probably most common in Germany, but we notice in other countries as well such as the United States.






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Created: 1:40 AM 11/1/2004
Last updated: 9:59 AM 2/24/2016