amandainvermont
VFG Member
Hopefully this will not be old information for all of you! This comes from a presentation by Megan Spagnolo, costume curator at the Western Reserve Historical Society of Ohio. She said that little boys used to wear pink and baby girls were dressed in blue.
"The idea behind pink was that it was a virtual, softer, shade of red, which was considered a masculine color. It wasn't until much later that pink began to be seen more as a feminine color.
Little boys, especially in the late 19th century, wore dresses, as did little girls. So portraits of little boys often had to include whistles or other "masculine" type toys. Little boy's dresses also tended to be made of darker fabrics, like brown wool, with heavier details to take away from any girlish connotation.
Spagnolo pointed out the effects the book "Little Lord Fauntleroy," a favorite of mothers of the time, had in making little boy's clothes more flamboyant, with frothy lace collars and ringletted hair styles.
HERE is a nice site tracing boys’ clothing over the years.
1886- 1887. Three little brothers, the two oldest in matching outfits while the youngest is still in a dress. The two older brothers are old enough to wear breeches. While the two older boys match, the eldest boy has the unfortunate luck of having to sport the Little Lord Fauntleroy hairstyle.
"The idea behind pink was that it was a virtual, softer, shade of red, which was considered a masculine color. It wasn't until much later that pink began to be seen more as a feminine color.
Little boys, especially in the late 19th century, wore dresses, as did little girls. So portraits of little boys often had to include whistles or other "masculine" type toys. Little boy's dresses also tended to be made of darker fabrics, like brown wool, with heavier details to take away from any girlish connotation.
Spagnolo pointed out the effects the book "Little Lord Fauntleroy," a favorite of mothers of the time, had in making little boy's clothes more flamboyant, with frothy lace collars and ringletted hair styles.
HERE is a nice site tracing boys’ clothing over the years.
1886- 1887. Three little brothers, the two oldest in matching outfits while the youngest is still in a dress. The two older brothers are old enough to wear breeches. While the two older boys match, the eldest boy has the unfortunate luck of having to sport the Little Lord Fauntleroy hairstyle.