Victorian children’s fashion was unique to its time. During those times, people wore fancy, heavily-layered clothing, which is very different from the clothes worn today. Children wore dresses similar to that worn by adults.
In the Victorian era, boys’ clothing shared many characteristics with girls’ clothing. Boys often dress according to their age. Up until the age of three or four, young boys wore frocks, blouses, and tunics with pleated skirts. After a certain age, they began wearing knickerbockers and short, collarless jackets. Knickerbockers were a standard, casual piece of clothing.
Boys also wore a sailing uniform consisting of buttoned trousers, dark stockings, black boots, and reefer jackets with buttoned cuffs and a wide brim straw hat. Most naval-style clothing was either white, black, or navy blue. The front of a jacket collar was often V-shaped, and jacket materials included cloth, wool, linen, pique, and duck. Often decorated with buttons similar to the jacket and trousers, woolen dresses were worn as a part of the uniform. While boys’ clothing was identical to girls’ clothing, it was less uncomfortable.
Here are some photos that show little boys’ fashion styles from the Victorian era.
