CHILDERN'S CLOTHING
Infants and Toddlers, Children (ages 2-12), Clothing for both, and Older Children(age 12+)
The only way to tell the difference between boys and girls of this age in period photographs is by looking at the part of their hair. Like adults, the boys� hair was parted on the side, and little girls always had center parts.
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Children (ages 2-12):
Boys:
During the Civil War, boys frequently wore dresses or tunics up until age six. However, from a realistic point of view, most modern boys will not tolerate dresses any longer than you can physically restrain them in said dress, and some fathers do not even tolerate dresses on their sons that long. Since people of more modest economic means tended to �breech� their sons earlier than wealthier people, we can be grateful that we are just �poor refugees� who were forced to breech their sons at an early age, making both fathers and sons very happy.
If your son will tolerate it, the most historically accurate �breeches� would be a �drop front� knee length set of breeches with a shirt that buttoned to the tunic at the waist. Some boys will tolerate this until age 7 or so, and other 3 year olds will not tolerate it at all, but insist on having long trousers. As long as the shirts and trousers or breeches are accurate to the time period and your child is happy in them, how early you �breech� your son, and into what length trousers, are entirely up to you. As a sign of maturity, if he was grown up enough to wear long trousers (men's wear), then he was expected to dress like an adult, and jackets or coats were generally required.
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Girls:
If a young girl has a short haircut, there is no need to �camouflage� her short hair with bonnets, nets, or anything else. Girls of this age frequently had their hair cut to chin length or slightly longer; however, like women's hairstyles, bangs were not worn. If your daughter has long hair, this is also historically accurate, but her hair should be braided or plaited, as unconfined hair was not socially tolerated in this time period. While sunbonnets are not required, for the sake of preventing sunburn, they are strongly recommended. The cape on any sunbonnet should completely cover your daughter's exposed shoulders.
Girls� dresses boasted either boat necklines, like the infants� gowns, or jewel necklines, like adult women's dresses. Skirts were either gathered or pleated to the bodice, with or without a waistband, with the hem of the skirt falling between the knee and midcalf. Generally speaking, a girl's skirt tended to lengthen with age until she was wearing an adult style skirt when she was of an age to "let down her skirts, put up her hair, and prepare to receive gentlemen callers."
Pantalets should be worn, and should fall just below the knee for all ages of girls.
Aprons or pinafores which reflect the �off the shoulder� boat necklines were very common and are strongly encouraged. These aprons will help extend the life of dresses which are sorely abused by active young girls at reenactments.
Small hip length capes or waist length �zoave� style jackets are appropriate for young girls.
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Both Sexes:
Stockings:
Stockings for children should probably not be �stockings� at all, but a choice of the following:
~Plain white, black, or ecru knee or above the knee socks with little or no decorative stitching.
~White, black, or ecru cotton/Lycra blend tights which look like cotton knit.
~Red and white horizontal striped knee length or above the knee length socks.
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Shoes:
Ankle length lace up boots in black or brown leather or leather-look material are appropriate. Try and avoid speed laces, and extraneous trim and pieces, but if all else fails, black leather dye will hide them. Particularly for young boys, �desert boots� are a good alternative to expensive and frequently outgrown footwear, provided the boots themselves as well as the exposed edge of the sole are dyed with black leather dye. Young girls under the age of 8 may also wear black leather "MaryJane" buckle shoes.
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Older Children (ages 12+):
By this age, boys and girls were generally expected to dress as adults, so adult guidelines can be followed. This generally meant that girls opted for the jewel neckline only, and abandoned the boat neck of her childhood, and her skirts gradually lengthened to an adult length. For boys, this meant that they were expected to wear long trousers, and generally wear a vest, jacket, or coat when in the presence of the opposite sex or in public, unless engaged in heavy manual labor (hauling water, splitting wood, or the like).
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Underpinnings
Dress
Outerwear
Accessories
