Figure 1.--Here we see three little barefoot country kids. The older brother who look to be about 5-years old is wearing a blouse with Fauntleroy trim and a back flap. Thi was a popular style even in rural areas. Theb are standing on the porch of their home, perhaps preparing to go to church. The cabinet card portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1900s.

American boys at age 5 commonly wore blouses until tge 1930s when shirts began to become popular. Ghis included various styles of blouses. We see this in the mid-19th century with Dags and Ambros (1850s), although they did not all blise as would become common. Then it becomes a little more complicated as jackets become more common in the photographic record (1860). This mean we don't see the blouses underneath. Then by the 1990s we begin to see more boys wearing blouses. We see very fancy Fauntleroy blouses, usually white, which boys might wear during the summer without jackets. We also boys weaing less fancy blouses with Fauntleroy trim, often dome in color. We see these in the 1890s and 1900s. We see the blouses both in cities and in rural areas. They were very popular style. Gradually we see less fancy blouses, but they are common through the 1920s. Blouses did not disappear, but becom invresingly garmets for girl or a very young boy. We see dressy blouses offered in botique shops.

Created: 11:51 PM 12/13/2013
Last updated: 11:51 PM 12/13/2013