Civil War Era Children's Fashions - January 1863 Peterson's Magazine

Civil War Era Children's Fashions - January 1863 Peterson's Magazine

Children's Fashions

Fig 1 - Dress of brown cashmere for a little boy - The body is cut low in front, and is of the same piece as the skirt. Over it is worn a basue, which is attached to the front body. Large Talma of the same material as the dress and braided in the same way.

Fig 2 - Pantaloons and jacket of dark blue cloth, braided with black. White Marseilles vest.

Fig 3 - Figaro jacket and pants of gray cashmere, braided in black. Gray felt hat and feathers.

General Remarks - Chemisettes or under bodies of fancy flannel, entirely covered with rows of braid or velvet, set on longitudinally, so as to represent Swiss plaits, form a very neat and comfortable style of winter clothing for girls. The sleeves of these chemises are demi-wide, and covered with longitudinal rows of velvet, and the wristbands have two or three rows run on transversely.

For a little girl about three years of age a very pretty dress of gray poplin has been made in the following style: Two bias folds of poplin descend from each shoulder to the waist, and from thence to the edge of the skirt; and at all these points the folds are fixed by two steel buttons. The folds become narrower from the shoulder to the waist, and gradually widen from the waist downward, and they are edged with narrow black velvet. The short sleeves are in puffs, confined by a narrow band with two steel buttons on the outside of the arm.

For little boys, as well as girls, between two and three years of age, low-necked dresses are almost invariably the rule. With these dresses may be worn, when the weather becomes cold, a Swiss body.