Pierre-Thomas Leclerc, Engraved by Nicholas Dupin

Girl dressed in a Polish-style frock and two boys in a skeleton suit, from Galerie des Modes et Costumes Français, Plate 146 1781(reprinted in 1912)
Etching, hand-colored on paper
Private collection (former collection of Mr. Ishiyama Akira)

A fashion plate published in Paris. In that era, adult men wore culottes (short pants) but boys wore a type of garment specific to them, the "skeleton suit,” which consisted of a jacket buttoned to long pants. In contrast, girls’ dresses and hair styles were similar to those of adult women. We can see from these fashions that childhood was understood to last longer for boys than for girls.

Girls’ One-piece Dress

c.1810
Cotton dress with high-waisted line, openwork and escallop with red thread on puff sleeves and on the breast. Made in Britain
Collection of Ms. Ando Yoshie

This type of dress, unfitted at the waist, made of sheer cotton in either white or in pale colors, was popular at the start of the 19th century. It began as a dress worn by infants but was later worn both by girls and adult women. Children’s clothing tends to be a smaller-scale version of adult clothing, but the chemise was an exception: it is an example of children’s wear influencing adult clothing.

Boys’ Three-piece Ensemble

1850s-1860s
Wool dress with stripes, metal buttons, blue wool appliqué. White cotton shirt and pantaloons. Made in Britain
Collection of Ms. Fujita Mariko

Both boys and girls wore dresses like this example. “Breeching,” replacing dresses with pants, was a major rite of passage for boys. During the 19th century, breeching took place between the ages of four and eight. The custom of boys wearing dresses continued until the start of the 20th century.

Kojima Torajiro
Going to School

1906
Oil on canvas
Nariwa Museum

At the start of the Meiji period (1868-1912), schools were created for the small persons expected to grow into the leaders of the new nation. Kids, who would have grown up until then in their local communities, now became “schoolchildren” to be educated in the school system. It was recommended that, to be suitable for schoolchildren to wear, their clothing should be Western in style, for greater freedom of movement and ease in laundering. The first step in the Westernization of children’s clothing, before production of Western-style clothing became widespread, was the addition of aprons, hats, gloves and other small Western accessories to conventional children's clothing.

Poster: The Tokyo Biscuit and Confectionary Co., Ltd.

c.1917-1924
Offset on paper
Museum and Archives, Kyoto Institute of Technology

During the Taisho period (1912-1926), new markets for toys, clothing, foodstuffs, books and magazines, all targeting a new urban middle class, appeared. Children's clothing became steadily more Westernized, and by early Showa (1926-1989), virtually all children wore Western-style clothing.