Civil War Era Children's Fashions - April 1861 Peterson's Magazine

Civil War Era Children's Fashions - April 1861 Peterson's Magazine

Children's Fashions

Fig 1 - Dress of French Silk - The skirt is trimmed with four ruffles. The body is round at the waist, low in the neck, and cut in a point both before and at the back. There is a berthe with a ruffle. A plaited body of fine Swiss mull is worn under the silk body. Short silk sleeves, with full muslin under-sleeves. Straw hat, with a wreath of wild flowers.

Fig 2 - Dress of White Muslin - The skirt is finished at the bottom with a ruffle, above which is a row of jaconet insertion. This ruffle, as well as the sash, and the ruffles on the body and sleeves, are all scalloped with red embroidery cotton in button-hole stitch. The effect is very beautiful. The body has three narrow ruffles infront, and broad braces over the shoulders.

General Remarks - The full frock skirt, with a white body and a kind fo Zouave jacket of the same material as the skirt, is still the most popular dress for small boys. In warm weather the jacket can be dispensed with, and the white body may een be made low in the neck, with short sleeves if preferred.

The newest mode of braiding on a white material is to use a very narrow braid, and to fasten this down with a row of stitches on the center of the line in colored embroidery cotton, either of scarlet or blue, which, being ingrained, will bear the washing. The effect is lively and pretty, and the style well calculated for children's dresses.