Why did boys used to dress up in dresses?

The tradition of dressing boys in dresses goes back centuries and disappeared only about a century ago. Let's look at how social, cultural and fashion trends have influenced this phenomenon, and how stereotypes about clothing have changed over time.

Society presents us with certain norms and principles of behavior, morality and ethics. And if you decided to walk down the street naked, it would certainly cause surprise among those around you, or even entail administrative liability. And if someone decided to dress up their son in a bright dress, then most passers-by would twist their finger at their temple, condemning such a parent as weird. However, until the 19th century, people perceived their sons' outfits differently, and dressed them up in dresses until the age of eight.

In Europe from the mid-16th century until the 1920s. There was a widespread tradition of putting dresses on little boys. This was due to practical reasons: disposable diapers had not yet been invented, and it was quite difficult to change diapers, each time taking off the baby's pants or shorts. So, to facilitate this process, mothers and nannies chose skirts for their boys and pupils.

Among other things, dresses and tunics were spacious, and children did not outgrow them so quickly. Given the high cost of clothing in those days, this approach also had economic benefits. The wearing of dresses by boys was generally accepted in all social strata, regardless of their status - both crown princes and children of dockers wore dresses.

In dresses, the boys did not feel inferior or indecently dressed - many, if not all, wore this way. How today you and I are not embarrassed by girls in trousers.

This is what Prince F. Yusupov wrote in his memoirs:

In the Russian Empire in the 19th century, a version of the long Russian shirt, similar to a tunic, was also popular, which was worn over long trousers or knee-length trousers. This type of clothing was worn by boys from 2 to 5 years old, or even older.

In Western European countries, boys wore dresses until they were 4 to 8 years old. The event when a child put on breeches or trousers for the first time turned into a celebration to which relatives and family friends were invited. For the youngsters, this was the first step into adulthood. For boys from wealthy families, this meant that they would soon be sent to school, and for working-class children, it meant the beginning of a difficult working life.

It was believed that as long as boys wore dresses, they were under the care of their mother, and as soon as they were under the care of a man, father or teacher, they were dressed in trousers. Once the boys put on their trousers, they began to act like adults. They seemed to come out from behind my mother’s skirt and become part of the man’s world. Therefore, some mothers were afraid to dress their child in trousers until he was 7-8 years old.

Boys' dresses were often darker colors than girls', and the fabrics were thicker and stronger. The decor of the dresses itself was more restrained and graphic. The most popular trim on boys' dresses is lace collar and cuffs.

Bodices on girls' dresses usually copied adult dresses, and elegant dresses had a deep neckline. For boys, there was no neckline, the neckline was under the neck, and the clasp was most often on the front, which was rare for girls.

The beginning of the 20th century divided society and also changed the gender characteristics of children's clothing. After the First World War, it became less and less common to see boys in dresses. Parents began to dress their sons in trousers, shorts and T-shirts. Today, dresses on boys are only worn on infants in the form of a christening gown.