The Victorian Era

Victorian Children's Clothing

Article · Fashion & Dress · The Victorian Era, 1837–1901

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Victorian children’s clothing was a separate subject from adult clothing, and it reflected the new Victorian idea of childhood as a special, protected, and innocent phase of life. The clothes that children wore in the Victorian period, and especially the clothes of the middle and upper classes, were a distinct subset of the fashions of the period, with their own conventions, their own fabrics, their own colours, and their own accessories. The history of children’s clothing is examined in Victorian Fashion and Dress, and the broader context of childhood in the period is set out in What was life like for a Victorian child?.

The New Idea of Childhood

The Victorian era was the period in which the modern idea of childhood was formed, and the new idea was reflected in the clothes. The children of the upper and middle classes were seen as innocent, vulnerable, and in need of protection, and they were dressed in a way that emphasised their innocence and their dependence. The clothes of the children of the period were often smaller versions of adult clothes, with their own conventions and their own fabrics. The dresses of the little girls, the suits of the little boys, the bonnets of the babies, and the boots of the toddlers were all part of the new visual culture of childhood. The history of childhood is examined in What was life like for a Victorian child?.

The new idea of childhood was associated with the Romantic movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, with the poetry of William Wordsworth, with the novels of Charles Dickens, and with the work of the kindergarten reformer Friedrich Froebel. The visual culture of childhood, including the fashion plates, the photographs, the advertisements, and the magazine illustrations, was a major element of the new culture, and it shaped the way that children were seen, dressed, and treated. The visual culture of the period is examined in Victorian Literature, Theatre, and the Written Word.

The Christening Gown

The christening gown was the most important item of clothing a Victorian baby would ever wear, and it was a major family heirloom. The christening gown of the period was generally a long, white dress of fine cotton, silk, satin, lawn, or lace, trimmed with lace, ribbon, embroidery, insertion, pin-tucks, or smocking. The christening gown was often made by the mother, the grandmother, the aunt, or a professional dressmaker, and it was passed down through the family as an heirloom. The long white christening gown became fashionable after Queen Victoria used one for the Prince of Wales in 1841 and the Princess Victoria in 1840, and the convention was gradually adopted by the upper and middle classes. The history of the christening gown is examined in What was a Victorian christening gown?.

The Baby Clothes

The baby of the period was dressed in a long, white, elaborate dress, often of fine cotton, silk, satin, lawn, or lace, the dress long enough to cover the baby’s feet. The baby was wrapped in a long, white shawl, and the head was covered with a long, white, elaborate cap. The baby was also wrapped in a long, white flannel binder, and the nappy was changed frequently. The baby clothes of the period were the subject of elaborate attention, and the baby was often photographed, illustrated, and described in the women’s magazines of the period.

The Skeleton Suit and the Breeching

The skeleton suit, introduced in the late eighteenth century and remaining in use for younger boys well into the Victorian period, was a one-piece outfit of trousers joined to a jacket by a row of buttons or tapes down the front, often in a pale blue or pink cotton or wool. It was the standard dress of the toddler boy from about one to four years old, before the introduction of more elaborate tunics and trousers.

From the age of about four or five, the little boy was put into a tunic suit — a high-collared jacket with a belt or sash at the waist, worn over matching trousers. Tunics in a wide range of fabrics, from velvet for best to corduroy for play, were the standard dress of the schoolboy until the breeching, the ceremony at which the boy was first put into long trousers, generally between the ages of five and seven. Breeching was an important family event, often marked by gifts, a special suit of clothes, and a family gathering. Before breeching, both boys and girls wore frocks, and the distinction between the sexes was carried by minor variations in cut and trim.

The Pinafore

The pinafore, a sleeveless or short-sleeved overdress gathered at the back and tied at the waist, was worn by both boys and girls over their other clothes to keep them clean. Pinafores were the working dress of the nursery, worn for play, for meals, and for lessons. The pinafore was generally of white cotton or linen for best, and of gingham, print, or holland for everyday. Older girls continued to wear pinafores over their dresses well into their school years. The pinafore was a particular feature of the period, and it is one of the most recognisable items of Victorian children’s clothing.

The Schoolboy’s Suit

The schoolboy of the Victorian period wore a more sober version of the adult suit. He wore a jacket, a waistcoat, a shirt, a collar, a tie, trousers, boots or shoes, and a cap. The jacket, waistcoat, and trousers were usually made of the same fabric, and they were cut by a tailor to the measurements of the wearer. The shirt was made of white cotton or linen, starched and laundered. The collar was a separate piece, either attached to the shirt or detachable, starched to a stiffness that would have been familiar to a generation of office workers in the twentieth century. The schoolboy’s suit was the forerunner of the school uniform, which became increasingly common in the late Victorian period. The history of the school uniform is examined in What was Victorian education like?.

The Sailor Suit

The sailor suit was a particular feature of Victorian children’s clothing, and it became fashionable for both boys and girls in the late Victorian period. The suit was modelled on the uniform of the Royal Navy, with its wide collar, its wide cuffs, its wide trousers, and its blue and white stripes. The sailor suit was popularised by Queen Victoria, who dressed the young Prince of Wales in a miniature version of the uniform of the Royal Navy in the 1840s, and the fashion was gradually adopted by the upper and middle classes. The sailor suit was associated with the seaside holiday, with the yacht, and with the new cult of the sea, and it was one of the most distinctive children’s fashions of the late Victorian period.

The Eton Suit

The Eton suit, consisting of a short black jacket with a wide Eton collar (a broad, flat turnover collar), matching short trousers, a stiff white shirt, and a black silk necktie, was introduced at Eton College in the late nineteenth century and gradually became a fixture of the middle-class schoolboy’s wardrobe. The suit was originally a school uniform, but it passed into general use as a smart dress for boys of all ages, especially for parties, weddings, and church.

The Schoolgirl’s Dress

The schoolgirl of the Victorian period wore a more sober version of the adult dress. She wore a dress, a petticoat, a chemise, a pair of drawers, a pair of stockings, a pair of boots or shoes, and a bonnet. The dress was usually made of a sturdy fabric, often a wool, a cotton, a linen, a flannel, or a serge, trimmed with braid, buttons, lace, or embroidery. The schoolgirl’s dress, like the schoolboy’s suit, was increasingly standardised as a school uniform in the late Victorian period. The story of school uniform is examined in What was Victorian education like?.

The Cloak and the Coat

The cloak and the coat of the Victorian period were an essential part of the children’s wardrobe. The cloak was generally a long, hooded cloak of wool, velvet, or silk, worn over the dress or the suit. The coat was generally a short coat of wool, velvet, or silk, worn over the dress or the suit. Both were trimmed with braid, buttons, lace, embroidery, fur, or feathers. The history of the cloak and the coat is examined in What did Victorian children wear?.

The Boots and the Shoes

The boots and the shoes of the Victorian period were an essential part of the children’s wardrobe. The boots were generally ankle boots, half boots, or button boots, often highly polished. The shoes were generally low shoes, Oxford shoes, or bluchers, in polished leather, patent leather, kid, or suede. The boots of the working class were made of heavy leather, in a sturdy style. The history of the boot and the shoe is examined in What did Victorian children wear?.

The Working-Class Child’s Clothes

The working-class child of the Victorian period wore a much more limited wardrobe than the middle-class child. The working-class boy generally wore a coarse cotton or linen shirt, trousers of corduroy, moleskin, fustian, or heavy cotton, heavy leather boots, and a flat or peaked cap. The working-class girl generally wore a plain dress of coarse cotton or linen, a pinafore to protect it, sturdy boots, and a simple cotton or straw bonnet. The history of the working class is examined in Victorian Society, Class, and Daily Life.