Children's Clothes

For most people of modest means, children's clothing was originally simply cut-down versions of adult garments. Special boys' and girls' outfits were reserved for special occasions. Children from well-to-do families had more choices, and little girls were dressed in frilly garments with as much elaborate detail as those worn by their mothers. Little boys might wear a sailor suit made from a rich fabrics such as velvet. After 1900, children's clothing for all classes became much more practical and suitable for the rough and tumble world of a child. More frilly or delicate clothing was then, as now, reserved for special occasions.