Peterson A.T., Hewitt V., Vaughan H., Kellogg A.T. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing through American History, 1900 to the Present. Volume 1: 1900-1949
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uniforms were also reflective of the modish silhouette, with bodices low
and skirt hems short.
Basic dresses for little girls included a bloomer-style dress of a matching
smock and panty set, matching bib and little sister dresses, and a simple
chemise-style dresses that could be slipped on over the head. One-piece
smocked frocks were appropriate for all ages and included a yoke, girdle,
and cuffs fitted through decorative smocking. Whereas simpler dresses were
preferred for younger children, older girls’ frocks were more complex. A
straight-cut jumper blouse was popular for young preteens in the 1920s.
Low-waisted and bloused bodices were popular, although chemise
dresses were typically cut loose and worn with simple string belts. Irregu-
lar necklines were often shown for girls aged 8 to 10. These closed at one
side and included a white linen collar. The Byron collar and raglan sleeves
were also popular at this time.
Skirt hems were generally quite short on smaller girls and grew longer
with age. Bloomer dresses were short enough to show the matching pan-
ties underneath. For slightly older girls, a popular element was to have
skirt fullness gathered in the front. Box-pleated skirts and deep front
pockets were used as well.
An alternative to dresses for children’s daywear included two- and
three-piece suits, with the blouse and skirt attached. Suitable for girls
aged 2 to 6, these included a pleated skirt sewn to an undershirt-style top
with a sweater worn over the top. Jumper styles were also popular. Sepa-
rate sweaters were often made of jersey and featured ‘‘modernistic’’ bold,
geometric designs in bright colors.
Fine-weight woolens in check and plaids (especially Navajo and
Yukon) were popular for children’s daywear. Overblouses for two-piece
suits were made of crepe, linen, or muslin. Three-piece suits were made
of contrasting colors. Jersey was worn by girls of all ages and was used
heavily for toddlers. Velveteen was popular for winter. Handkerchief
linen, silk, and crepe were especially popular in citron, lavender, and other
pastel colors for summer wear. Taffeta was also popular in the summer.
Plain or block patterns were popular for dresses. Stripes, plaids, dots,
and conventional figures in bright colors were often used for summer,
whereas rich, dark colors such as wood brown were modish in winter.
Colors and materials were frequently combined for added effect, such as
blue plaid with blue and tan striped jersey.
Popular trimming included smocking, especially in conjunction with
bright-colored threads. Embroidery, ribbons, and ribbon rosettes were
popular, too. French embroidery, Italian drawn work, and other fine nee-
dlework in simple patterns were preferred.
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
Boys’ Ensembles. Boys basically wore miniature versions of adult clothing
in the 1920s. Suits, rompers, and separates were most common for boys. A
white, button-down shirt and a pair of short pants was the typical uniform.
One-piece rompers consisted of a shirt and short pants combo with elastic
cuffs on the pants. These were available plain or with sailor-style detailing.
Older boys wore suits with short pants for sport. During this period, it was
also common for boys to play ‘‘dress up.’’ Outfits that resembled cowboys,
Indians, baseball uniforms, and aviator uniforms became common styles of
playwear began appearing in the 1920s (Olian 2003).
Teen to College
Girls’ Ensembles. Teen and college-age casual wear differed very little from
adult fashions. Although trends may have differed, the overall silhouette
remained consistent. Marketing to teen and college-age girls was a rela-
tively new phenomenon and was mostly focused on the college-aged girl
preparing her wardrobe.
Lowered waistlines and shor t hems were just as popular, if not more
so, for the college and high school girl as for the full-grown woman.
Dresses were typically cut loose and had a self-fabric belt at the hipline.
Deep collars, a scarf, and a cape of matching material helped add interest
to the otherwise simple tunic dress. Handkerchief linen, taffeta, and floral
prints were popular in pastels for summer dresses, with heavier fabrics and
darker colors for winter wear. Typically, less ostentatious trimming was
used for these young ladies’ dresses than for children’s attire. Pleating was
particularly popular on skirts, tunics, sleeves, collars, and edging in fabrics
such as crepe, voile, and georgette. Smocking with bright threads was
another conservative way in which young ladies’ dresses were trimmed.
Generally, teen and college-age fashion, for both sexes, closely followed
more general trends and silhouettes.
Boys’ Ensembles. Young men typically wore sweaters or sweater vests
over their soft-collared button-down shirts, because jackets were no longer
required for casual occasion. V-neck patterned pullover sweaters were
popular as well as cardigans. Norfolk jackets were worn by college stu-
dents. This sports jacket had inset panels and a belt. Knickers were com-
monly worn by college students.
OUTERWEAR
Children to Preteen
Coats. Babies and infants typically wore a ‘‘ long-coat,’’ a long, sleeved
gown with a shoulder cape usually trimmed with embroidery or lace.
1920s, The Jazz Age
311
Six-month-olds to 2-year-olds wore a shorter, ‘‘walking’’ version. Alterna-
tives included high-collared baby capes and sailor-style pea coats.
Girls’ Coats. Young girls also wore fur coats with high wrap-around
collars. Girls’ c loth coats were made of plain or plaid wool and included
fur collar and cuffs. A-line cut overcoats with a side button and tie closure
and a short, knee-length hem were typical.
For preteen and young girls, typical design elements for coats and
capes included large collars, dropped and belted waists, patch pockets,
large buttons, and sometimes an inverted pleat at the back. Hems usually
fell at or above the dress hem. Capes were knee length and made of wool,
although some were knit and lined with fleece. Decorations often focused
on art deco themes.
Boys’ Coats. Boys’ coats were based on men’s styles and included styles
such as sailor or pilot coats or swagger coats. Double-breasted coats of
mock raccoon or wool with fur collars were typical. Pocket varieties
included patch, side flap, or envelop pockets at the chest. Both belted and
unbelted st yles were available.
Teen to College
Girls’ Coats. Jackets were cut on adult lines and again included fur trim at
the collar and cuffs. Both tubular and flared coats were popular, worn
belted or loose. Cloth coats were made of wool or velveteen and included
patch pockets. Fur coats were also popular among college-age girls.
Boys’ Coats. College-age men in the 1920s are well known to have
worn raccoon coats, especially to spor ts events. They usually included
wide lapels and were lined in plaids or tweeds.
SWIMWEAR AND SPORTSWEAR
Infant to Preteen
Swimwear. One-piece, knitted tank-style suits with shorts were popular
for both young boys and girls. Both buttoned up the center front,
although girls usually had more upper-body coverage than boys. Suits
were popular in a variety of colors, but wide horizontal stripes were a par-
ticular favorite.
Female Ensembles. Golf wear for young girls strongly resembled their
casual wear. Typically, it included a pair of roomy trousers or pleated skir t,
paired with a long- or short-sleeved button-down blouse. Young ladies’
tennis attire was similar to that of adults and consisted of a full and long-
ish pleated skirt and middy shirt ensemble in white or with a darker skirt
and a white shirt.
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
A middy shirt, a long-waisted, sailor-style shirt with a neck sash,
paired with a knee-length pleated skirt was a general sportswear ensemble
for young girls. Alternatives included tank-style dresses with pleated skirts
or a knickers and tailored shirt combination. Materials frequentl y used
included broadcloth, wool flannel, and other washable fabrics.
For winter sports such as ice skating and winter hiking, preteen girls
wore hip-length cardigans or pull-over V-neck sweaters in plain or argyle
designs. These were available belted or loose with or without pockets.
Collar varieties included shawl, pointed, and V neck. Young ladies usually
wore these with wool pleated or straight knee-length skirts or knickers
with knee-socks in a complementary pattern.
Boys’ Ensembles. Boys’ golf wear had less variety than girls’ wear did.
Young boys wore a tailored, button-down white cotton shirt with knee-
length tweed knickers and a belt. The same ensembles were worn by young
caddies, with the addition of a matching or complementary tailored jacket.
General playwear for young boys included ‘‘dress up’’ outfits, including
cowboy and Indian outfits, aviator suits, and baseball uniforms in bright
colors and ‘‘authentic’’ decoration. Plain playclothes included one-piece
coveralls (complete with a drop seat) of heavy duty fabrics such as denim.
They featured front patch pockets, button-up and zipper closures, and a
variety of collar styles. Summer playclothes offered short-sleeve and short
varieties, with button-up closures and belts.
Preteen boys’ wear for outdoor sports such as ice hockey and cycling
included V-neck and button-down argyle sweaters worn with knee-
breeches or trousers.
Teen to College
Girls’ Ensembles. One-piece, knitted, and belted swimsuits with form-fit-
ting short overskirts were popular among teen and college-age women.
Less-functional swimwear of the early 1920s included frills and multiple
layers for modesty. Necklines varied and were round, V neck, or cross
over. Suits offered little to no chest support. Beach shoes were a necessity
and resembled today’s lace-up kick-boxing boots. An early popular trend
was to sunburn the name of a popular film star onto a leg or arm.
Teen and college-age golfers wore long-waisted and belted knitted
shirts and knickers bloused at the knee in somber colors. Tennis attire
consisted of a roomy and longish pleated skirt and shirt ensemble in
white. Alternatively, but in the same silhouette, sleeveless white boat-
necked dresses with dropped waists and long skirts were popular.
Boys’ Ensembles. One-piece, knitted and belted swimsuits with a tank
top upper and form-fitting shorts were popular for both men and boys.
1920s, The Jazz Age
313
Teen and college-age men generally wore adult styles while golfing. This
included argyle sweaters, plus fours, and argyle socks.
For tennis, full-length white tailored trousers were worn with button-
down white collared shirts by young men. In cooler weather, they wore a
thin-knit, relatively plain white sweater as well.
HEADWEAR,HAIRSTYLES, AND COSMETICS
Infant to Preteen
Headwear. Babies and infants wore bonnets or hats for protection from
the elements. Generally, they matched the garment being worn and were
made of cotton or silk with fine lace or white-work trim. Older infants
also wore velvet bonnets with silk embroidery for more dressy occasions.
Older girls wore headbands with ribbons and flowers, usually to match a
particular dress. The fashion for hand-knitted accessories, including caps
and hats for both boys and girls, had extended from the wartime trend of
hand-knitted gifts for the troops.
Teen to College
Hairstyles. Teen and college-age girls of the 1920s wore their hair in much
the same way adult women did. Bobbed hair, influenced by celebrities such
as Irene Castle, was considered highly controversial among parents and
teachers. Eventually, just getting a new haircut became the fashion. The lat-
ter 1920s saw adolescent girls growing their hair long. The new permanent
waves garnered attention, as did hair dyes. Thanks in part to Hollywood
starlets, platinum blond was a popular color (Schrum 2004).
Cosmetics. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, young women imitated
the trends they saw at the movies, in magazines, and in advertising. Cos-
metics advertising was not yet geared specifically to teens and college-age
women, but they were more prone to use new products than their adult
counterparts (Schrum 2004). Cream and face powder were novelty items
in the early 1920s and were popular among teens in the form of compacts.
In the late 1920s, lipstick and an eyebrow pencil became the focus for
young women. Stars such as Clara Bow and Mae Murray had an impact
on makeup trends with high school girls. First introduced in the early
1920s, nail polish was considered vulgar through the 1930s. It was popu-
lar among teens and college-age women.
FOOTWEAR AND LEGWEAR
Infant to Toddlers
Footwear. There was little difference between footwear for boys and girls
while in infancy. Newborns and infants wore bootees, often hand knitted
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
or crocheted. These were usually white, with pastel colors used for accents
and trim. Additionally, fine cotton or wool socks were worn in the winter,
some that came with gar ters.
Baby shoes were made of a variety of materials, including felted wool
and soft kid leather. They were usually made in some variation of a T-bar
shoe and were typically decorated with floral applique and/or embroidery.
Moccasins were also popular and were often lined in a light-colored silk.
Children to Preteen
As children grew older, greater differentiation between styles for boys and
girls became apparent. Into the 1920s, both genders frequently wore
high-button boots with black woolen socks.
However, as styles progressed, these boots began to be seen as a winter
shoe for young girls. Round-toed patent leather and plain leather shoes
with a single strap across the ankle or arch were popular at parties and
other dressy occasions. These were sometimes decorated with a simple
bow at the toe. The latter 1920s saw the increased use of long spats or
leggings worn under dresses and over shoes for warmth.
Boys’ shoes mimicked styles and shapes of their adult counterparts.
Everyday shoes were white, black, red, or brown lace-up shoes of canvas
and vulcanized rubber. They were most typicall y made in oxford style,
either as a boot or shoe.
Teen to College
Teen and college fashions very closely followed adult styles and trends. In
the 1920s, this included pumps, oxfords, or sandals worn with stockings.
A growing trend, however, was wearing socks instead of stockings. It was
during this time that ankle or bobby socks began their rise to popularity.
Teen and college-age boys continued to wear styles based on adult
men. Oxford styles in leather for everyday and dress and canvas shoes for
sport were common.
ACCESSORIES
The immediate postwar years saw a rise in hand-knitted goods, including
scarves for both boys and girls. Girls also tended to wear muffs to keep
their hands warm. These were made of rabbit or lamb’s wool outer por-
tions with soft inner linings. They frequently included a toy doll, bear, or
dog head attached at the top.
Accessories such as bags, jewelry barrettes and sunglasses all mirrored
trends in adult fashion. Pearls and beads were popular but not for every-
day wear. Art deco and Bakelite jewelry was popular and featured
1920s, The Jazz Age
315
Egyptian themes. Drawstring bags and leather pouches were fashionable,
as were decorative belts on dropped waists.
1930S ,
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
FORMALWEAR
Infant to Toddlers
As a result of the Depression, formalwear for babies was only a necessity
for christening gowns. Long white dresses with matching hats remained
standard for both boys and girls. The very wealthy who could afford to
splurge on formalwear for children tended toward white organdy for after-
noon dress-up, often trimmed with narrow piping. Alternatives included
silk smock-like dresses trimmed with embroidery or colored applique
designs of animals and flowers.
Children to Preteen
Girls’ Ensembles. Shirley Temple dresses and those worn by Princesses
Elizabeth and Margaret dominated the style for young girls aged 2
through 10. Rosebuds, knitted dresses, and fine materials such as organdy
and hand embroidery were most popular for formal attire, when it was
called for.
Boys’ Ensembles. Toddlers continued to wear two-piece suits with short
pants for formal occasions. The shirts worn under these suits were often
made of knitted cotton jersey. Pants were typically corduroy or cotton
broadcloth, among others. Older boys wore single- or double-breasted
jackets with short or long wide-legged pants. Young boys’ ties were
offered in a variety of printed silk designs that included cartoon characters
such as Mickey Mouse, Popeye, and Dick Tracy.
Celebrity, Children, and Fashion in the 1920s and 1930s
The twenties and thirties saw an increase in movie attendance, and chil-
dren were influenced by the films they saw and child stars. Not only did
popular child movie stars create or endorse their own clothing lines for
both boys and girls, but they also affected trends in general.
In the 1920s, Charles Lindbergh’s famous flight in The Spirit of St.
Louis was highly publicized through newsreels, and subsequently aviator
outfits became popular playwear. Film archetypes were also imitated,
including space men, cowboys, Indians, and baseball heroes. Film stars
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Jackie Coogan appeared in ads for boys’ clothes,
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
eventually developing their own clothing lines. Although Buck Rodgers
and similar adult stars continued to influence boys’ clothing through to
WWII, younger stars began to have a greater influence.
A host of youthful Hollywood stars such as Judy Garland, Virginia
Weidler, Mickey Rooney, Jane Withers, and Sonja Henie had their own
clothing lines or began endorsing clothing for department store catalogs,
including the Sears catalog. By the late 1930s, Hollywood costume design-
ers such as Vera West and Edith Head were being recognized for the cos-
tumes designed for their petite stars. With the popularity of Walt Disney ’s
feature-length and short cartoons, Mickey Mouse and other Disney charac-
ters appeared on T-shirts and other sportswear for both boys and girls.
Of course, the most famous child star of the 1930s was Shirley Temple,
who set the bar for all other child endorsers and merchandisers. She made
her film debut at the age of 5 in 1934, and, by the following year, she was
making $1,000 a week from merchandising tie-ins alone (Cook 2004).
Mothers everywhere dressed their children in Temple-imitating clothing.
Temple merchandise included dresses, coats, snow suits, raincoats, toys,
and accessories. However, it was the Shirley Temple ‘‘look’ ’ that most moth-
ers were after. Her iconic hairsty le of all-over ringlets was imitated every-
where and is still recognized today. Her style of dress, frequently identified
withtoddlerhood,includedsimplefrocksmadetoaccentuateatoddler’s
belly, with puffed sleeves and hemlines that were consistently nineteen inches
from the floor (Blackford 1936). These were trimmed with simple and unob-
trusive decorative elements, such as embroidery or applique, and lace-edged
hemlines and collars. Interestingly, conflicting fan magazine reports suggest
that Temple was both uninterested in her film costumes (Blackford 1936)
and insistent that they be of a consistent design (Martin 1936). Regardless,
her style left its imprint on children ’s fashion of the 1930s.
Non-film child celebrities also drew considerable attention and
affected children’s clothing trends. The child Princesses Elizabeth and
Margaret of England affected design worldwide. The press regularly pho-
tographed the pair and reported on their preferences. Beginning in 1932,
young girls in England began wearing ‘‘Margaret Rose’’ dresses, which
were rosebud-trimmed, knitted dresses. Primrose yellow and pink were
the reported favorite colors of Princess Elizabeth, thus dresses in those
colors flew off the shelves.
Teen to College
Girls’ Ensembles. Most teens and young women were advised to keep for-
malwear purchases to a minimum when planning their college wardrobes
(Dare 1931). However, they were also told that a few formal gowns would
be needed. Crepe and other silk dresses were popular, especially when
1930s, The Great Depression
317
worn with a short-sleeved bolero jacket. Utilitarian black satin suits were
practical for street wear and formalwear. Formal attire needed to work for
such occasions as dances, teas, dinners, and attending religious functions.
Boys’ Ensembles. Teenage and college boys wore three-piece suits. Jack-
ets were fitted and typically were hip length and single breasted. Many
jackets had a half-belt in the back. Some jackets were waist length and
zipped up the front. Vests generally matched the suit, and trousers had
full, wide legs with cuff s.
CASUAL WEAR
Infant to Toddlers
Continuing from the 1920s, baby boys and girls dressed similarly for the
first few months of life. However, there was some debate over when to
begin differentiating through details such as round boyish collars or tiny
puffed sleeves, ribbons, and sheer pastels for girls. The length of baby
dresses also continued to shorten as the
decade progressed. Initially around
twenty-four inches in 1930, it had
shortened to eighteen inches by the
late 1930s (Ewing 1977, 137). Four- to
6-month-old babies’ dresses were con-
siderably shorter to allow greater free-
dom of movement for crawling.
Petticoats for babies became less practi-
cal for wear under increasingly shorter
dresses. Generally, they were offered in
muslin and were only required under
thin cotton for modesty.
It was generally acknowledged that
the silhouette and style of babies’ clothes
changed very little over the years, and
the only novelty lay in the details. Sim-
ple, short-sleeved white dresses with
embroidery and pin tucks began to be
imported from the Philippines in a vari-
ety of lengths. These dresses were com-
mon enough, but practicality led advice
columnists to recommend that mothers
‘‘stock up on nightgowns and wrappers’’
(P arrish 1934).
A typical toddler gown from the 1930s. [Library of Congress]
318
CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
Rompers or creepers were popular for crawling babies, especially in the
summer. These practical cotton garments were all-in-one with a snap
crotch closure. They were short sleeved, with short pants, and were made
of seersucker, crepe, or broadcloth. Trimming included applique, smock-
ing, and embroidery.
Separates for very young babies were all that was necessary in the
summer and included a cotton shirt, an abdominal band/binders, and a
diaper. Diapers were available in a variety of materials, including the knit-
ted cotton bird’s-eye cloth and a fine surgical-weave diaper treated to
make it more absorbent. Although prevalent in the 1920s, binders were
used less and less as the decade progressed. Silk and cotton-blend shirts
with nonbinding sleeves were recommended. Innovative underarm cuts
helped ease babies’ arms into the sleeves. In the winter, wrappers and
sweaters were used for added warmth. Slip-on sweaters were either slip-
on, open front, or a new surplice style. Kimonos and knitted jackets were
often included in layettes. These featured kimono or raglan sleeves and
were made of light flannel, silk, or cotton knit.
Whereas the previous decade saw most newborns dressed in white, the
1930s witnessed the rise in popularity of pastel colors for babies. Pale
pink, various blues, lavender, and buttercup yellow or maize were popular.
Whites and dark linen blue were also trendy, as were prints and piques.
Silk was a popular choice for baby dresses, especially in varieties such as
china silk, crepe de Chine (or pure dye silk), pongee, and crinkle crepe.
Some advice columnists even preferred silk to cotton in terms of durabil-
ity. Sheer linen, lawn, nainsook, and batiste were also heavily used for
baby clothes.
These fine materials continued to be decorated with trimming such as
smocking, shirring, hand tucks, embroidery, and lace. Button-hole stitch
edging was also popular. Cartoon character appliques and prints also
gained popularity. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and other Disney char-
acters were particularly popular on children’s wear and especially T-shirts.
Children to Preteen
Girls’ Ensembles. Bloomer dresses, popular in the 1920s, continued to be
worn by children throughout the 1930s. In the thirties, rather than simply
being an unfitted chemise, these dresses flared over the matching panties.
Sailor-st yle dresses were also trendy in the early 1930s. Following adult
silhouettes, the later thirties saw a waistline begin to appear in children’s
wear. Bodices now ended at the natural waist and included a self-fabric
belt or matching sash tied at the back. The bodice was attached to a circle
or gathered skirt. Peter Pan and Bermuda collars were popular, as were
1930s, The Great Depression
319