In the past ten years, I have witnessed a tremendous surge in family participation in the hobby of Civil War reenacting. As more and more women establish their place in the hobby, there is a natural increase in the involvement of children. This creates an additional responsibility for parents to dress all members in historic garments. We need to analyze what Civil War era children were wearing to begin with. Children’s clothing from the mid-19th century was dictated by economic and geographic factors. This is important to keep in mind before you begin sewing or purchasing items for your children. All family members must reflect the same economic level and geographic region, (i.e. urban dwellers or rural farm family; north, south or frontier).
Hint: Using your husband’s military rank is a great place to start because it will help you to establish your home region and financial status.

Infants and Toddlers

Birth to six months -- Infants and toddlers suffered a good deal from the fashions of their day. The long skirts were annoying to the child. The open design of the necklines along with skimpy short sleeves did little to protect the child’s chest and arms from drafts and life threatening chills.

Regardless of how impractical they may have been, the typical garments worn by babies included:

Drawstrings at the waist and neckline allowed the gowns to be adjusted for fit on a daily basis. The gowns for infants were usually white or a tiny print. The lack of dye allowed the garments to be boiled to keep them clean. Little or no distinction was made between the dress for boys versus girls. The most reliable means of determining the child's gender was the position of the part in the baby's hair. Little girls wore a center part while little boys wore a side part. Little boys also sometimes wore a single center curl on top of their head. Shawls or tiny sacque jackets were worn to provide some warmth for the arms and upper chest. Linsey woolsey or wool flannel were popular choices for these garments. Bibs or diaper were necessary to protect gowns from moisture.

Six to Nine Months

Virtually no change is seen in the garments of infants from birth until the age of nine months. At this age, mothers were encouraged to shorten baby's gowns to allow for crawling and walking. After this age, pinafores were worn to help protect the clothing. Most pinafores were made of muslim or brown holland. Both fabrics were sturdy and washable.

One Year of Age

The first change in your child's wardrobe takes place when he/she reaches the age of one year. At this time, most mothers replace the belly binder with a corded stay. While it is less restrictive than a fully boned stay/corset, the corded variety offers back support. It buttons up the back and most often has shoulder straps. Buttons around the waist provide a place to hang drawers and petticoats which would otherwise be apt to ride down on children with little or no hips.

Two or Three Years of Age

The second change takes place when the child was potty trained. At this time, cotton or linen drawers were added to replace the nappies and pilcher. These side opening garments would button to their corded stays. Drawers for little boys would have a small hole in the seam of the lower front crotch for his convenience. The length of both boy's and girl's drawers came to mid calf. The legs were often decorated with rows of pin tucking and embroidered trim. Boys and girls would continue to dress primarily alike until the boy begins to process of becoming breeched. This refers to the time when he could leave off his skirts completely. Until that time a little lad would wear stays and petticoats just like his sister.

Subtle differences are seen in the choices in the dress trims. Braid and brass buttons were bery popular for little boy's dresses. Plaids, while popular with both boys and girls, was especially favored for little boys. A popular dress tyle throughout the period featured a wide, open neckline with either drawstring or a small yoke. Although very impractical, it remained fashionable for over thirty years. The open neckline provided no protection from drafts. It was prone to slipping off the wearer's shoulders, making free movement very difficult. This style was usually but not always accompanied by short sleeves. Ribbons and bows were often tied at the shoulders.

Boys, age four & older

Around the age of four, a subtle but important change occurs in the clothing worn by little boys. His dress begins to shorten untul it resembles a tunic. The drawers change from cotton or linen into the fabric of his tunic dress. They are now considered an outer garment rather than part of his underwear. This is the first step in the transition to adult male garments. The next important transition was the knickerbocker suit. It was worn between the ages of four & six. This was an awkward age because the little boy was too old for skirts and too young to be breeched. The knickerbocker suit took various forms, but generally consisted of baggy knee pants gathers just below the knee. Straight legged pants were a popular variation. The knee pants would button to his shirt. A belted tunic would be worn over the shirt and pants. The tunic often had a diagonal opening across the front. Brass buttons and braiding were popular trims for this outfit. The young boy would stay in knickerbockers until he was fully breeched. Breeching occurred anytime after the age of six. A young boy's first breeches buttoned onto his shirt. These knee length pants featured side openings rather thana center front one. As the little boy grew, his pants would go through three different stages. Each stage marked another step toward adulthood and could happen together or seperately over a period of time between the age of seven and ten. The side openings on his pants would be changed to a front button fly. The buttons around his waist would be eliminated and braces(suspenders) adopted. His pants legs would lengthen to his ankles. All three changes were usually complete by the age of ten.

The shirt to which the pants buttoned took many forms. The center or diagonal front opening shirt should have the stylish dropped armholes prevalent in current fashions. Full gathered sleeves or fitted coat style sleeves are both good choices. Braid and buttons were popular for trimming both shirt and pants. Very young boys could have their shirts made of holland, wool, or nansook. These shirts could be worn with or without a waistcoat. They often had diagonal front openings. After the age of seven, the shirt resembled an adult man's and was made from cotton. Just like a man's shirt was considered an undergarment, so was a boy's shirt, and was rarely seen without a waistcoat(vest) or jacket.

Jackets worn by boys varied from the short bolero or Zouave style in current fashion to the shapeless sack coat. Both styles could be worn with a waistcoat and could be adorned with braiding. The fasteners were another subtle age indicator. The youngest boy would have a single button or tab closure. As he grew, the number of buttons increased. After the age of ten, a young boy's clothing should resemble an adult's in every way. This includes the drab and somber colors worn by adults at the time. Black, dark grays and browns were all popular choices. Wool was universally used for men's clothing. Cotton was the primary fabric of shirts.

Girls, age four & older

Little girls fashions changed in more subtle ways as she matured. A little girl never abandoned her stays. As she grew, her stays would evolve into the boned style used by women. Her under pinnings were as numerous as her mother's. They included the chemise, stays, drawers and multiple starched petticoats. Sometime in her development, a young girl would adopt open crotch drawers like her mother. A single boned hoop was appropriate for a fashionable young lady after the age of seven or eight. There is photgraphic evidence showing little girls much younger than age seven wearing hoops. I think it is a matter of choice and common sense. Let common sense be your guide.

The skirt length was a visible sign of maturity. Starting at her knees when a toddler, the skirt would gradually lengthen to mid-calf (approx. age eight), to bott top (age eleven or twelve) and finally to ankle length(age fourteen and up) as the young lady grew. Another sign of growing up was the adopting of the closed necklines and longer sleeves. After the age of thirteen or fourteen, most girls wore short sleeves only for formal wear in the evenings like their mothers. The change from a back closure dress to a front closure one also marked growing maturity and usually happened by age fifteen. The fashions found on little girls of the period share many characteristics found in adult women's clothes. Arm holes were dropped off the shoulder and shoulder seams fell toward the back of the garments. Popular sleeve styles included the full bishop sleeve gathered into a cuff, the fitted coat style, the bell shape and the pagoda. Older girls often wore undersleeves with the latter styles.

Dress bodices had either close fitting jewel necklines, or the wide, open necklines seen in younger dresses. Detachable white work collars were used by girls to protect their dresses just like their mothers. Most, but not all, girls' dresses were one piece with the bodice gathered or pleated onto a waistband. There is some pictorial evidence showing contrasting bodices and skirts. The vast majority of dresses had matching bodices and skirts. SKirts were attached to the waist band by gauging, box pleats or knife pleats. Most were stitched on by hand. Skirts usually feature one or more growth tucks, which could be let down as the young lady grew. Bodices were usually flatlined with minute corded piping used to stregthen armholes and finish necklines and waistbands.

Cottons, wools and silks were all popular for girls' dresses, with cotton calico being a staple for everday wear. Wool guaze was especially popular for good dresses. A variety of trims and ruchings were used. Most were applied in similar style to those found on adult dresses. An important accessory to any little girl's wardrobe was her apron. Aprons or pinafores came in a variety of shapes and styles depending on their intended use. Although all shared the basic function of protecting the dress, some such as silk party aprons, helped to embellish an ordinary dress for a special occasion. School aprons of muslim or hollan were worn daily and usually features a bib of some kind. This style often had a waistband with a button closure. Some of the most simple aprons were know as "old fashioned" and were little more than a length of fabic with armholes and a drawstring around the neck. An "overall" apron covered the dress completely and had sleeves. It buttoned up the back. Pockets, no matter what style of apron, were an important feature.

Little girls enjoyed a variety of jackets for fashion and warmth. The rounded front bolero style was very popular with the new garibaldi waists. Zouave jackets were very popular with girls and were often heavily braided. By the age of fifteen, a young lady should resemble an adult woman in every way. The only visible difference might be a shorter skirt, if she is unmarried or very young looking.

Our foremothers faced the same problems we do today of when clothing their children. How do you keep growing children in clothes? Since fabric was precious and sewing chores never ending, our ancestors thought up clever ways to extend the wearing time of their clothes.

Growth tucks in pants legs and skirts are the easiest way to stretch the life of a child's garment. Since most children grow faster than a weed, up and down than they do around, utilizing growth tucks can sometimes enable a child to wear the same outfit two seasons. Adding a contrasting panel to a skirt can also extend the life of the garment.

While the prospect of clothing our children for an event may seem daunting, it is definitely worth the effort. The young reenactors of today are the guardians of history for the future.

Arthur's Magazine 1861,
Godey's Ladies Magazine1840, 1850, 1860-65
Peterson's1861-64,
The Workwoman's Guide,A Lady,Age 18-38
Simpkin & Marshall. London