Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows an unidentified baby boy who looks to be about 1-year old. He wears a dress and petticoat along with a shoulderless pinafore. Unfortunately we do not know what the color of the dress and pinaore were, but we can see the pinafore was not white. The studio was Frey in Syracuse, New York. The portrait was probably taken around 1880.

The pinafore was essentially a bib apron with a top back pannel, This is what destinguished a pinafore from a apron. we do not have enough information on pinafores to provide much information on the styling. We note a wide variety in styles, including both very plain pinafores as well as pimarores dome wuth flounces and lace. Most of the styling was in the bodice top. This was generally done with a front and back pannel, but without sleeves. Some pinafores might have puff sleeves. at the shoulders. We also notice pinafores with no shoulders and only straps of various sorts connecting the front and back pannels. These type seems less common that the pinafores with shoulders. There often was a waistband tying as a bow in the back. The skirt portion matched the top, but with fewer decorartive touches. The length usually matched that of the dress it was worn over. It probably was not made for the dress, but the pinafores followed the current hem-line fashion just as dresses did.

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Created: 8:38 PM 8/22/2010
Last updated: 8:38 PM 8/22/2010