Child's Dress

Child's Dress, c. 1840

In the 19th and 20th centuries, young boys and girls often both wore dresses.  It was difficult to know if a child under five years of age was “male” or “female” based upon clothes, hairstyle, or the colors of the clothing.  Popular styles had both genders in dresses of simple colors and curled, uncut hair.  Distinguishing gender among infants and young children was not important, and the Western tradition of dressing a girl in pink and a boy in blue was not seen until after World War II.  In time, dresses became more associated with female clothing, and it was no longer common for young boys to wear them.