Dresses for Boys during the 20th Century: Inter-war and War Era (1920-45)


Figure 1.--An elderly man at an estate sale reported that he wore this dress as a boy in 1920. It is a relatively fancy dress which could have easily have been worn by a girl. Note the half sleeves.

The custom of dressing little boys in dresses declined in the second decade of the 20th Century, especially after the World War I (1914-18). The War was a major divide in many ways separating the 19th century certanties with the more jaded outlook of the 20th century. I'm not sure why children's clothes changed so fundamentally. It was not only children's fashions that changed. Women put away their corsets and by the 1920s were bobbing their hair, shortening their skirts, and even sneaking a smoke. For many the War was a loss of innocence, perhaps this was reflected in changing, more mature fashions for children. Someof the pre-war fashions and customs survived into the 1920s, but by the mid 1920s, American boys were wearing the new fashions and the custom of dressing small boys in dresses was no longer widely practiced.

Chronology

The custom of dressing little boys in dresses declined in the second decade of the 20th Century, especially after the World War I (1914-18). Some of the pre-war fashions and customs survived into the 1920s, but by the mid 1920s, American boys were wearing the new fashions and the custom of dressing small boys in dresses was no longer widely practiced.

Importance of World War I

The War was a major divide in many ways separating the 19th century certanties with the more jaded outlook of the 20th century. I'm not sure why children's clothes changed so fundamentally. It was not only children's fashions that changed. Women put away their corsets and by the 1920s were bobbing their hair, shortening their skirts, and even sneaking a smoke. For many the War was a loss of innocence, perhaps this was reflected in changing, more mature fashions for children.

Styles

The most common type of dress by the end of the war were simple little shifts worn by very young boys informally at home. They were often white or light colors with minimal styling. Some boys in the early 1930s might have worn fancier styles, but this was not common.

Color

White was by far the mlost common color for boys' dresses.

Age

Some boys up to 4 or 5 years still wore dresses in the early 1920s, although the practice had declined significantly in popularity. Soon by mid-decade the custom had permantely passed. Subsequently dresses for boys became acceptable only for infants and even then mostly rather wealthy families.

Country Trends

HBC at this time does not have sufficient information to address trens in different countries.

Other Clothes

Little boys were by the 1920s commonly outfitted in rompers instead of dresses. Older boys wore short pants and knickers. By the late 1920s it had become unsusual to see a boy, evan a baby, in a dress. A few boys were outfitted in smocks during the 1920s, but this was little seen by the 1930s, except for school wear in France, Italy and some other countries.








Christopher Wagner




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Created: March 1, 1999
Last updated: December 2, 2000