Baby & Toddlers Clothes - The Evolution of Children's Clothing

By:Mark Dietzel

Children's clothing evolved as with all the things that are now present today.

From the beginning, children’s' clothing used color to separate the genders. Especially in the olden days where little boys looked like little girls, the distinction can be made by the color of the clothes. Girls wore pink and little boys wore blue, this is as much true today as it is in the era of days gone by.

Because of historical accounts available like painting and photographs, it was not easily distinguished if a child was male or female. Thus, not only do the clothes determined the gender but the general appearance as well. This was manifested by the hair style that they were told to wear. It became a strong convention that little girls wear pretty dresses and their hair long while the little boys were told to wear the pants and sport short hair. However due to the evolution of time, little girls of today have adopted to wearing pants but the day hasn't come yet where the boys adopted the dresses of girls!

In our modern world today, a general convention exists that girls are able to wear the clothes of boys but never the other way around. But that wasn't the case in the 19th century where little girls and boys were dressed alike. Although during that time, girls were not allowed to dress in pants, otherwise, there was not much difference in the way they were dressed.

Up to the time of the second world war, clothes associated with girls were dresses, pantalets, smocks and pinafores.

Dresses

This was the basic clothing of girls up to the second world war since it was not everyday occurrence that girls wore pants or shorts before the war.

Bloomers

This was another staple in the little girls' clothing where it served its purpose of

providing an alternative option to the restrictive and binding fashion sense during the 19th century. This can be attributed to Amelia Bloomer born 1818 - 1894 who was an American reformer espousing this cause. But the bloomer concept must be credited to Elizabeth Smith Miller as she was creator of the bloomers. Although this type of garment did not bloom at all.

Rompers

These were worn both by the girls and boys that were used primarily for play time. By the end of the second world war, rompers were basic staples for little girls wardrobe. They were usually used as costumes or uniforms for gym classes of girls.

Smocks

This is one generic children’s clothing of years gone by. As this was so common, different styles, accessories, adornments, and other details filled the repertoire of how a smock can look like. There were smocks of different colors, smocks with different buttoning styles - buttons located at the back, in the front, or on the side. There were also smocks with collars, with trims, with ties, with pockets, with belts, etc. It was usual in the 1950s that smocks of identical cut were bought by mothers for their children.

Pinafores

This was a very essential piece of garment for the girls' wardrobe as they were usually worn by little girls of Europe and America.

Pantalets

These were worn both by boys and girls. Usually, boys wore plain pantalets while girls wore the fancier ones. But there were some boys who like to wear fancy Pantalets too.

Sailor suits

This was basically a boy's garment but it became a unisex garment as girls started to wear sailor suits too.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: baby, toddler, child, children, clothes, clothing

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Mark Dietzel operates Baby-Clothes-Stores.com a website that specializes in
Clothing for Baby

Top Children Articles
1). A National Holiday for Tolerance and Parenting (Part 1) By : Paul M. Jerard Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is explained in classrooms, to our children and grandchildren, in simplistic terms. Just this past week, I was surprised to listen to local children’s views on the subject. They explained discrimination with such acceptance that I just listened in amazement.
2). Your Preemie Is In The NICU - What Can You Do? By : Sjona Lindquist Your feelings are tied up in that tiny little preemie bundle, and you have a hard time comprehending this small, wrinkled resemblance of a baby that is attached to every conceivable contraption...could belong to you. But when your heart is broken in more places then you could ever dream possible, and waiting seems endless, you are harshly welcomed into the world of parenthood.
3). Health Tips For Your Baby By : Robin Darch There are always concerns about a baby’s health. Many parents overreact to the smallest problem, but you really can’t be too careful when it comes to your baby’s health. Recognizing the symptoms to the most common diseases is very important to early diagnosis and treatment. Rubella or German Measles: It’s sometimes referred to as the 3-day measles as well.
4). Learning To Apply Information By : Esther Andrews There are many definitions of intelligence, but the one I have learned in high school claimed that intelligence in nature is the ability of an animal or a human to use the information they have learned. I have also read about the idea that there are several levels of learning. The lowest level of learning, is just memorizing the material and being.
5). Kid Friendly Games By : Sandra Stammberger Kids love to mimic the adults in every whatever fashion that they see adults do. They see their elders tinker on computers; they'd love to bang on the computer as well. Parents would love nothing more than to indulge their kids in everything that could be useful to them. The dilemma that parents usually face is if the kid computer games that they are after are really kid friendly. So how can parents choose from among the hundreds of computer games that are circulating in the market?
6). Helpful Tips For Planning A Wonderful Baby Shower By : Susan Anderson A baby shower can be one of the most thoughtful gifts you can offer a new parent. Baby showers are a lot of fun, and can be a good first memory for the new parents. And of course, the obvious plus to the parents to be is all the great baby loot they get as well. Well planned baby showers can help save new parents a ton of money on baby necessities, often taking a lot of financial stress and worry away from them.
7). Baby Shower Ideas: Gifts To Consider Buying By : Jennifer Adair The time of planning a baby shower is a special one. An expecting mom could be the happiest person in the world should she give birth to a little angel. And in anticipation of the new baby, baby showers are commonly held about three months before the baby is born. It is possible to hold it after the baby is born. It has advantages in doing that plus it would be little easier selecting gifts if it were held after.
8). Baby bedding can be exciting to shop for By : Roger King Many baby bedding; quilts and blankets that you can find for your baby are made with polyester or acrylic, plastics that, when heated by the baby's body, can emit gases that irritate the baby's sensitive skin and eyes! As parents we understand how much you love your children and want the best for them. Walk into any baby supply store, or open any catalogue offering baby supplies, and you'll be hit with adorable baby bedding designs: bedding with tiny flowers; little animals; and Disney characters, stripes, zigzags, or bugs.
9). Three Kinds Of Baby Clothes By : Kirsten Hawkins When buying baby clothes parents are suddenly inundated with multiple choices that can become quite confusing. How many cute and adorable outfits does little Bill or Hillary need? How many “Onesie” body suits are enough? For little people that grow so quickly there are certainly a wide variety of clothing options, how does a new parent know what to get? To help settle the dilemma and answer these questions, parents need to keep in mind a simple “rule of three.
10). Kicked in the Ribs - While Giving Birth By : kacycarr Sacrifices have to be made as soon as your result from the pregnancy test proves positive. Bungee jumping stops as of now, cut down on the intake of alcohol and tobacco. It is common sense to follow the rules from all medical advisors which in return will help you to understand the needs of your new unborn child. By adhering to all advice from your doctor/midwife may help making the birth a pleasant experience.

New Children Articles
1). Personality Matters In Homeschooling By : Joyce Jackson Learn what personality type lend sitself to better homeschooling.
2). Travelling with Young Children By : ian Williamson When grandma and grandpa live in another state or your family wants to travel on a summer vacation then a road trip might be what you plan. If it is and you are traveling with preschool age children you will need your own personal arsenal of things to keep their little minds busy.
3). Weak Cognitive Skills Are Cause of Learning Disabilities By : Paul Counts Learning Disabilities affect people in all walks of life each and every day, but the good news is that something can be done to correct them.
4). Make Your Backyard Fun Again with an Outdoor Toy Structure By : Mayoor Patel A lot must be done if you hope to get your kids outside again, and it could end up costing your hundreds of dollars on something spectacular like an outdoor toy structure, jungle gym, swing set or playhouse. But after all, is it not worth it?
5). Flexibility In Homeschooling By : Joyce Jackson Learn why homeschooling your children give paretns a lot of flexibilty in many areas.
6). Spelling Games Parents Can Play With Their Kids By : Dave Poon There are many spelling games that parents can play with their children to improve their vocabulary.
7). Suitable Clothing for Children By : Ivar Rudi Infants are very susceptible of the impressions of cold; a proper regard, therefore, to a suitable clothing of the body, is imperative to their enjoyment of health.
8). 3 Reasons Why Your Child Needs Strong Memory Skills By : Jim Sarris Being able to memorize is one of the best tools a child can have in their educational toolkit. The author gives parents three reasons why they need to help them develop strong memory skills.
9). How to Keep Your Child Earning Top Grades in School! By : MITCHELL HAMPSON There is one surefire way to keep your children earning the best grades and that is to get a private tutor.
10). Tips in Choosing the Right Kids Games for Your Developing Child By : Dave Poon Kids games play a major role on the development of every child. It is not only a leisure activity but also helps in the growth process of a child.