Circa late 1800's or 1900's photo appeared in the LSU Textile exhibit Dream Stitches: Baby's Layette. Notice the Beauty Pin on the Baby's gown! From the Gandy collection.
This sweet picture shows a little girl and a baby, probably a sister and brother but the baby might be a girl. Babies were dressed alike at that time. The baby might or might not be wearing a Christening Gown. In our time we think any long gown is a Christening Gown. However the length of an infants gown prior to 1900 was quite long, often longer than 36" for everyday wear and could be very fancy. By 1920 the recommended length had been reduced to 28" or less. This would be considered Christening Gown length today.
Old Fashioned Baby Christening Gown from Baby Gowns pattern.
My Old Fashioned Baby Gowns pattern is very similar to the one the baby is wearing. This style is often seen in old pictures of babies. It is really just a basic yoke gown that has a ruffle around the yoke and the hem.
Christening Gown made from the Baby Gowns pattern. Gown is Swiss Batiste with Swiss Edging at the yoke and hem.
This Christening Gown features tucks and lace in the hem and yoke. Simple but elegant!
3 comments:
I expect that the length of the baby's dress was commesurate with the family's social standing and wealth.
My son who is now 40 wore dresses until sometime after he learned to walk. His weren't terribly long or fancy. His great grandmother made them and they basically looked like long shirts. She made them button down the front and put tucks in the front and back for fullness. I could kick myself for not keeping them or at least of making pictures of him in them.
BTW, his father hated them, but since it was his grandmother that made them, he didn't complain much.
I can't recall where i read it, but somewhere I read that long gowns on babies in and around the early 1900's were so that babies couldn't crawl - crawling babies were considered "animal-like", so it was discouraged, if you can imagine! LOL! I also read that mother's used to put a corner of the long baby gown under the kitchen table leg to keep the baby from moving about the house - I guess that was their baby-sitter, so that women could get work done in the kitchen! LOL!
Wonderful information. Adorable site. Thanks. :)
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