Amy T Peterson, Valerie Hewitt, Heather Vaughan, et al
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these dresses had a wool undersuit. They came in styles with and without
sleeves but usually had a waistband or sash. Generally, swim dresses had
V necks, round necklines, sailor collars, or wide collars. Young women
would wear cloth or knitted swimming caps and swimming shoes that tied
around the ankle like ballet pointe slippers.
The knit tunic over shorts was a popular style for teenage and college
men. They came in one- and two-piece versions and were often sleeveless.
This style was made from wool, cotton, or a combination of the two.
Other Activities. Tennis was a popular sport in the first decade of the
century, and players followed tradition and wore white garments. Young
men wore soft-collared white button-down shirts and rolled the sleeves
up to the elbows. They usually wore neckties also. Long, white trousers
made from flannel or duck were worn.
Young women wore a similar outfit. They wore casual white blouses
tucked into full white skirts. Typically, the skirts were shorter than those
worn for other daytime occasions.
HEADWEAR, HAIRSTYLES, AND COSMETICS
Children to Preteen
Headwear. Infants wore bonnets made of cloth, usually trimmed with
lace, ribbons, and embroidery. The bonnet tied beneath the child’s chin.
Tam-o’-shanter-style hats were popular for young girls. These hats
consisted of a band that encircled the head and a flat platter that sat on
top of it. This style of hat was made of either silk, flannel, or velvet. It
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could be trimmed with embroidery, braiding, and cords, but it usually had
a pom-pom, tassel, or large button that extended from the center of its
top. A square version that resembles a modern graduation mortar board
was also available.
Typically, boys wore caps with visor brims. These were made in velvet,
flannel, and wool. Another boys’ style resembled a sleeping cap. It fit low
on a boy’s head and had a small end that flopped over to the side and was
usually trimmed with a tassel.
Hairstyles. Girls’ hair was either parted in the center and pulled back
or left loose. Hair bows were quite popular. Small ones were placed high
up on each side to pull hair away from the face. A medium or large bow
might be placed high on top of the head or at the back of the head on
top of a chignon as decoration. Larger bows were also used to pull hair
back into a low ponytail.
Younger boys sometimes wore their hair longer and kept thick bangs.
Older boys cut their hair short, parted it in the middle or on the side, and
slicked it down.
Teen to College
Headwear. Teenage and college girls wore women’s hats, including the
broad picture hats that were laden with flowers, ribbons, lace, and feathers.
Teenage and college boys wore men’s hats such as the Panama, straw
boater, derby, and fedora.
Hairstyles. Young women wore their hair in the pompadour hairstyle,
keeping it full and loose around the face and pulling the back in a loose
bun or chignon. They often used a marcel wave to give their hair a natu-
ral-looking wave that lasted up to a week.
Young men either wore their hair short and slicked down or styled it
into a pompadour, in which it was loose and full on the top and often cas-
caded over the eyes.
Cosmetics. Although cosmetics were widely used, few women admitted
to using them, and makeup application was subtle. Powder and pink rouge
were commonly used. Some women tinted their lips and used pencil or
charcoal to darken their eyebrows.
FOOTWEAR AND LEGWEAR
Children to Preteen
Footwear. Both boys and girls wore high, lace-up leather shoes with short
stacked heels. They were often embellished with a patent leather toecap.
Smaller children often wore the button-up variety of high shoe. In addi-
tion, girls wore low shoes with open vamps. The sides of this style of shoe
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297
were drawn together with a bow or straps. In summer footwear, there
were canvas oxford styles available. By the end of the decade, low styles,
called oxfords, were becoming more popular.
Legwear. Girls wore stockings. Dark or black ones were worn during
the winter, and white was worn during the summer.
Boys wore dark knee-length socks under their knee pants.
Teen to College
Footwear. Young women’s shoes had two-and-a-half-inch heels and pointed
toes. They either had an open vamp, with a strap across it, or they were
oxford style with a closed vamp.
Young men’s footwear was the same as what was worn by older men.
They wore lace-up leather shoes or boots with low, stacked heels. Athletes
wore sport shoes made of canvas uppers and rubber soles for traction.
Legwear. Teenage and college girls wore cotton stockings.
Teenage and college boys wore knee-length socks that were held up by
garters that encircled the calf.
ACCESSORIES
Young children often wore detachable collars and cuffs to quickly dress up
their ensembles. This could be very fancy with finely woven lace or hand-
stitched embroidery.
Young girls usually wore aprons over their dresses to keep them clean.
These could be made from delicate cotton lawn, finely embroidered, and
trimmed with ruffles. Utilitarian aprons were made from durable cotton
weave such as gingham and could extend over the entire dress in some cases.
Training corsets were available for young girls to help them adjust to
using more restrictive corsets when they reached adolescence.
Teenage and college girls and boys used the same types and styles of
accessories that were fashionable for adults.
T H E
1910S
FORMALWEAR
Teen to College
Girls’ Ensembles. During the 1910s, teenage and college girls’ clothing
transitioned between two silhouettes. The silhouette at the beginning of
the decade involved a high waistline located just beneath the bust and a
slim skirt. By the end of the decade, the fashionable silhouette focused on
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
wide hips enhanced by tiers of overskirts. Loose bodices and waists that
were slightly above the natural waistline were common.
Early 1910s formal dresses typically had a long net tunic over a silk
empire-waist dress with a narrow skirt. Surplice bodices were very fash-
ionable, and the wide sash often separated the bodice from the skirt.
V necks were the most common neckline, and sheer short sleeves were
the norm.
By 1916, the progression to the later silhouette was evident. Silk,
chiffon, and lace were arranged as overskirts and flounces to add width
to the hips of evening dresses. Hemlines gradually rose to the mid-calf
point. Bodices and waistlines were loose-fitting, with square, V, or
round necklines. Typically, formal dresses had short or elbow-length
raglan sleeves.
Boys’ Ensembles. The formalwear worn by teenage and college boys
was the same as adult men. The athletic silhouette of the 1910s was
quickly adopted by young men. The black dinner jacket, or tuxedo jacket,
was frequently worn for all types of formal occasions. It was close fitting
and had a collar and lapels that were faced with satin. Underneath the
jacket, young men wore a low-necked black vest and a collared white
shirt. The dinner jacket was worn with black pants that had narrow legs.
CASUAL WEAR
Children to Preteen
Girls’ Ensembles. Early in the decade, young girls wore dresses that were
similar to ones worn in the previous decade, but slight changes began to
occur. Made from plaid and solid-colored wool or cotton serge, many of
these dresses featured bertha or sailor collars. Generally, the collars were
not as oversized as they had been in the 1900s. Waistlines had dropped
slightly below the natural waistline, but the dresses retained high necks.
The hem extended just below the knee, and the skirts were usually
pleated. Sleeves, which had been puffy and loose, became close fitting.
Buttons, cord, braiding, and embroidery were common embellishments.
The dresses for girls under 7 years old were simplified. The waists had
dropped, and the enormous bertha collars disappeared. Sailor collars con-
tinued to be popular. Aprons were commonly worn over dresses to extend
their life.
In the summer, older girls would wear lace-covered white dresses
made from cotton lawn, organdy, or a similarly sheer fabric. Lace, silk rib-
bons, and pleats would embellish the bodice, sleeves, and skirt. These
dresses would have square, V, or round necklines and three-quarter-length
The 1910s
299
Children probably dressed up for the photo, and posed with bicycles and tricycles.
[Library of Congress]
sleeves. The waistline was placed at the natural waist or at the hip, and
the hem ended just below the knee. The skirt tended to be full and often
had two layers.
By the end of the decade, some girls wore overalls for play or chores.
These consisted of knee-length, loose pants and a blouse or bib-style top.
Typically, they were made from durable, washable cotton fabrics.
Boys’ Ensembles. Young boys wore suits with knee pants. The jackets
were either single or double breasted, and there was greater variety in
jacket style than the previous decade. Belted jackets were popular, as were
blouse-style jackets that gathered at the waist and blouse over the waist-
line. Side plackets were available in straight, blouse-style, and belted jack-
ets. Sailor-style tops continued to be popular, and they were made in
additional colors such as white and gray. Coat lapels and ‘ button to the
neck’’ were the most common collar styles.
Nearly all suits came with knickerbocker pants that fit loosely and
gathered at the knee. Gray, dark blue, olive brown, brown, tweeds, and
pinstripes were frequently used for boys’ winter suits made from wool
and cotton fabrics. Khaki became a popular summer color, and summer
suits were made from linen and cotton.
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
The ‘‘Buster Brown’ suit was
popularized in the 1910s. This
brown pinstriped suit had a
long, straight double-breasted
jacket with a belt. The jacket
covered most of the knickers.
The outfit was completed with a
bow tie and a straw boater.
Character playsuits became
popular in the 1910s. Although
there were some playsuits for girls,
most playsuits were made for
boys. Popular characters included
cowboys, Indians, policemen, and
soldiers. Sometimes the outfits
would include accessories such as
a headdress for the Indian cos-
tume and a toy pistol and holster
for the cowboy outfit.
Boys under the age of 6 often
wore playsuits made of washable
The young girl to the right wears a sailor dress popular to the period
cotton or linen. The tops were
of the 1910s and a large hair bow. [Library of Congress]
blouses, tunics, or jackets, and
they often had a belt. The pants
were either knickerbockers or straight knee pants. Sailor collars were espe-
cially popular, but other collar styles, such as mandarin, Plymouth, and
shawl, were available as well.
Unisex Ensembles. Girls and boys under age 7 wore rompers. These
functional garments were made of chambray, gingham, and other washable,
durable fabrics. As one-piece garments, they were combination shirts and
pants with either long or short sleeves and collared or collarless necklines.
They were designed for playtime and were loose fitting with loose belts.
Sweaters were worn by both boys and girls. Under age 7, these gar-
ments looked the same for both sexes. Sweaters were usually hip length
with a button closure that extended down the length of the front. They
often had fold-over collars and belts.
Teen to College
Girls’ Ensembles. Early in the 1910s, the dresses worn by teenage and col-
lege women had narrow silhouettes and high waistlines. The monobosom
of the previous decade was still evident but less emphasized. Typical
The 1910s
301
dresses had high necks or round necklines accented by round or lace col-
lars. In general, skirts laid flat over the front of the hips and legs, but they
had fullness in the back. Three-quarter-length sleeves and long close-
fitting sleeves with cuffs were fashionable. Decoration tended to be more
subdued than women’s dresses during the period. Lace collars, narrow
neckties, and button trims were popular.
By the middle of the decade, the waistline had loosened and been low-
ered. Necklines became slightly more open as turned-over collars and sailor
collars became more popular. Overskirts became typical on most dresses and
added width in the hip areas. Young women also wore blouses with wide-
hipped skirts. For active endeavors, they usually wore a loose middy blouse
with a narrow silhouetted skirt that had hidden pleating for easy movement.
In the summer, young women would wear white lace dresses made
from lawn or voile. These followed the popular silhouette and had skirts
with flounces, ruffles, and layers of lace overskirts. These dresses had V,
square, or round necklines or collars accented with lace.
By the end of the decade, the loose, wide-hipped silhouette became
more exaggerated. Hems shortened to the mid-calf level. Decoration
became more minimal. Textured and patterned fabrics, pleating, rows of
buttons, and contrasting fabric insets were common embellishments.
Sweaters became popular for teenage and college girls. Usually, they
wore long hip-length cardigans, but pullover styles became more prevalent
as the 1910s wore on. Sweaters had a variety of collar types, including
shawl, fold-over, and high necks. Oftentimes, sweaters had patch pockets
and a loose belt.
Young women wore overalls for active chores. They consisted of full
pants that gathered into a cuff at the ankle and a blouse or bib. Blouse
styles were either short or long sleeved. Bib styles were worn with a
blouse underneath.
Boys’ Ensembles. During their early teen years, usually to age 14 or
15, boys dressed like younger boys. They wore knickbocker suits with
belted jackets that were either single or double breasted. The jackets
were looser and longer than they had been in the previous decade. To
accompany the suits, they wore shirts and either bow or slender four-in-
hand ties.
Older teen boys dressed in styles worn by men. They wore form-
fitting single-breasted jackets that extended just below the hip with
single-breasted, five-button waistcoats without collars. These suits also
included narrow trousers that extended to the bottom of the ankle. They
were made from wool or cotton in a variety of weaves, including serge,
herringbone, and tweed.
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CHILDREN’S FASHIONS
When doing manual labor, young men would often wear overalls.
They were full fit in the hip and leg. Made from blue denim, they often
had extra layers at the knee for durability. The bib of the overalls was sus-
pended by two shoulder straps that buckled to the bib. Typical overalls
had pockets on the bib and at the hips.
Teenage boys could join the Boy Scouts for which they would need a
uniform. The complete uniform included a single-breasted military-style
jacket, long breeches that were cut full in the hip and thigh and tight in
the calf, and a hat that had a crown that was creased on four sides and
had a wide, stiff brim.
OUTERWEAR
Children to Preteen
Coats. The coats of girls under age 7 were generally cut full and extended
to just below the knee. Double-breasted styles were popular, and single-
breasted coats often offset the placket to the left side. Shawl and sailor
collars were common. Spring coats were often made of cotton poplin, and
winter coats were commonly made of wool serge. Embroidery and lace
often decorated the lapels and cuffs.
A dropped waist was fashionable in older girls’ coats by the beginning
of WWI. The silhouette was boxy, and raglan or kimono sleeves were typ-
ical. The waist was often accented by a belt or trim, and the hem
extended down to the mid-calf. Most winter coats were made of wool,
but they were being finished to resemble more expensive animal materials