Little Girl Clothes of the 1800s

Baby girls and baby boys both wore gowns throughout the 1800s.

In the 1800s the styles for little girls' clothing followed the fashions grown women were wearing. At the beginning of the century, girls dressed in the regency-style clothing, high-waisted dresses with skirts that hung straight to their ankles. In the middle of the century, they adopted the hoop skirts their mothers were wearing. It was not until near the end of the century, when the bustle replaced the hoop skirt, that children's clothing began to differ substantially from adult wear.

1800-1820

Girls wore dresses of lightweight fabric with high waists and skirts that dropped straight to the ankle. These dresses followed the style of the regency era. Sashes, mob caps and bonnets were the most common accessories. Girls wore their hair short.

1820-1830

Skirts for girls became shorter and wider. Pantalettes, long straight underpants, were worn under the shorter dresses. They were meant to be seen. The dress fabric was heavier and more trim was used. Pinafores and wide brim hats were commonly worn.

1830-1840

Sleeves and skirts got wider and the waistline moved to the natural waist. Hats and bonnets were large in the early 1830s, but got smaller in the later 1830s. Girls began to wear their hair parted in the middle copying Queen Victoria's hair style.

1840-1850

Girl's dresses had the same V-shaped bodices with dropped shoulders that were popular on women's dresses. Their skirts were much shorter. Young girls wore knee-length skirts, but the skirts got longer as the girl got older. Toddlers and very young girls wore bare shoulders. Girls of all ages wore ankle length pantalettes, white stockings and black shoes. They continued to wear a center part with corkscrew curls or their hair combed back behind their ears.

1850-1870

Girls began to wear hoop skirts like their mother's. Plaids and checks were popular. Pantalettes became shorter, ending just below the knee. Decorative aprons became popular in the late 1860s.

1870-1880

Girls dresses began to differ from women's. Girls did not wear bustles. They did wear ruffled overskirts with a large bow in the back. Plaids and checks were popular fabrics. They were worn with stripped stockings and boots. Girls began to wear shoulder-length hair and bangs. Simple dresses were worn for playing and chores.

1880-1890

Girls wore straight dresses with a low waist and a big lace collar. The skirts had details such as pleats, scallops, ruffles and shirring. Bangs became common.

1890-1900

Young girls wore dresses that hung straight and full from their shoulders. Older girls' dresses had a natural waist. All ages wore their dresses to the ankle. When larger sleeves became popular in women's clothing later in the decade, they were adopted into girl's fashions also. A charming detail was a short cape or large ruffle at the shoulders. High-top shoes were worn with plain white stocking for young girls and black ones for older girls. Most girls wore long hair.

References

• American Victorian Costume in Early Photographs; Priscilla Harris Dalrymple;1991
• Fashion Era: Girl's Clothes in 19th Century Children's Costume History with Pictures