Figure 1.--Some one was not too happy about having their portait taken. This American daguerreotype was probably taken in the 1840s. We are not sure though if the child is a boy or girl. The center part suggests a girl. Note the low neckline, short sleeves, and how plain the dress is. Also note the pantalettes.

We have begun to collect some chronological information about dresses during the mid-19th century. We are adding links to the appropriate pages alreasy loaded on HBC. Unfortunately many of the images we have found are not dated. We can tell they are from the mid-19th century, but describing them to a specific decade is more difficult. We see a wide range od styles. Necklines were quite varied. Styling could be very plain, especially in the 1840s, but we see fancier styles by the 60s. Boys and girls were still kept in similar dresses, even past the toddler period--often until about the age of 5 or 6 years. The style of those dresses changed as the child grew. Infants might wear long dresses. As the reached an age where they were learning to walk, the dresses were made shorter. Both wore "dresses" of cotton or wool around the house. The graceful, soft Empire dresses that allowed for freedom of motion had disappeared by the 1840s. Even little girls once ore began to be trussed up in bustles, stays, and bows. The usual child's dress was long or short sleeved to suit the season, with slim sleeves, round or boat-shaped neck and the waist was lightly fitted with a set-in belt. Preferred fabrics were linen and cotton, for ease of care. Little boys continued to wear dresses like their sisters. Children's dresses like their mothers grew increasingly elaborate by the 1850s. Women's and children's clothing saw a tremendous surge towards excess by the 1850s. Women's fashions, skirts widened so that wire frames had to be used for support. Massive skirts sported flounces, laces, ribbons, or any variety of other often gaudy trimmings. The dressing of children was fully in a mother's, thus this taste for high ornamentation couldn't help but spill over into children's clothing. Young boys still wore dresses in the 1860s. The age at which they were breeched was still left to the disgression of the mother and, as a result, could vary widely. Class destinctions had some impact on breeching. While most younger boys might wear dresses, generally it was boys from wealthy families that were kept in dresses the longest. Raised at home under constant supervision of nannies and governesses, boys from wealthy families, closted in nurseries, often had very little contact with other children. The interactions that did occur were mostly with relatives or children of the same social class and this other boys who may have also be kept in dresses. We note an American boy wearing a dress in the 1860s. Another example is an American boy in 1865.

The 1840s

Boys and girls were still kept in similar dresses, even past the toddler period--often until about the age of 5 or 6 years. The style of those dresses changed as the child grew. Infants might wear long dresses. As the reached an age where they were learning to walk, the dresses were made shorter. Both wore "dresses" of cotton or wool around the house. The graceful, soft Empire dresses that allowed for freedom of motion had disappeared by the 1840s. Even little girls once ore began to be trussed up in bustles, stays, and bows. The usual child's dress was long or short sleeved to suit the season, with slim sleeves, round or boat-shaped neck and the waist was lightly fitted with a set-in belt. Preferred fabrics were linen and cotton, for ease of care. Little boys continued to wear dresses like their sisters. There were no dresses specifically styled for boys. An example is an American boy, Thomas Hardwick, about 1840 or 1841. We note an unidentified American child wearing a dress we think in the late 1840s, but we ae not sure if the child is a girl or boy. Another good example is two New York City children who we think were photographed in the 1840s.

The 1850s

Children's dresses like their mothers grew increasingly elaborate by the 1850s. Women's and children's clothing saw a tremendous surge towards excess by the 1850s. Women's fashions, skirts widened so that wire frames had to be used for support. Massive skirts sported flounces, laces, ribbons, or any variety of other often gaudy trimmings. The dressing of children was fully in a mother's, thus this taste for high ornamentation couldn't help but spill over into children's clothing.

The 1860s

Young boys still wore dresses in the 1860s. The age at which they were breeched was still left to the disgression of the mother and, as a result, could vary widely. Class destinctions had some impact on breeching. While most younger boys might wear dresses, generally it was boys from wealthy families that were kept in dresses the longest. Raised at home under constant supervision of nannies and governesses, boys from wealthy families, closted in nurseries, often had very little contact with other children. The interactions that did occur were mostly with relatives or children of the same social class and this other boys who may have also be kept in dresses. We note an American boy wearing a dress in the 1860s. Two Philadelphia brothers wear matching white lacey dresses in 1862. The dresses have low necklines and are worn with lacey pantalettes. Another example is an American boy in 1865.

Created: 9:06 PM 2/18/2007
Last updated: 6:31 AM 4/13/2007