Posted in Life in the Old West

Take a good, long look at this dress. Can you see me wearing it to school? Do you think I wear overalls to school? I wish! The boys can wear overalls, but my mother would never let me step one foot off the ranch wearing anything but what's considered proper for young ladies and girls in 1880. So, yes, if you peeked into the window of our schoolhouse, there's a chance you would see me wearing this dress--or one just like it. In fact, if you want to see the kinds of dresses I have to wear to school, church, and other social events, click here:
CHILDREN'S FASHIONS
Which one do you like best? I reckon If I had to choose, I'd pick the green silk dress--but only for special occasions.

(photo courtesy Kent State University Museum)

And...it gets worse. By the time most girls reach the age of twelve or thirteen, they're wearing corsets--a tight-fitting, restricting undergarment, which is suppose to keep a girl's waist small and fashionable-looking (but in reality squishes all your insides so you can't breathe). Corsets are meant to be worn day and night! Some of my friends' mothers are dead set on making sure their daughters "fit in" with polite society by enduring this fashion burden. I'm thankful that my mother has enough sense to know that these corsets can't be healthy for young, growing bodies. The thought of wearing one makes me break out in a cold sweat. Here's a picture of a gathering of properly dressed young ladies. Look closely. I'm not here. I'm out riding...

You want to know what little boys wear? They wear dresses until they are five or six years old. Then they wear knickers, which are short pants that come just below the knee, and stockings. The stockings are held up under the pants at the waist. Oooh..doesn't sound very comfortable to me. If you scroll down to the bottom of the Children's Fashion page you clicked, you will see a fancy suit for a boy. 

 

 

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Posted by Lyric

Yeah, give me jeans any day. But I did have to dress perty for a social event last Friday. I got to meet a bunch of politicians (including our next governor [I'm dead certain of it]), so I had to gussy up and wear a nice dress. They gave Mom an award at that banquet, and she wasn't there so I had to receive it for her. ;-)

~Lyric

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Posted by TroopersForChrist

My skin is crawling just thinking about sitting around in a wool dress. I'm allergic to wool. My mom could never understand why I hated certain clothes. Now I know!

The bustle look is really interesting. Can a person sit on a bustle? Is it like a big pillow? Those properly dressed young ladies in the picture are very long and linear. Their tiny feet in the little shoes are too.

Now we know why folks in the old fashioned photos didn't smile! I remember a couple little boy outfits Nate had with nickers. He'd never be seen in those now. Dressing him up was fun, while it lasted. Those little suits were cute too.

Joy had to laugh at a 4H show one of the teen guys had on the riding breeches for riding English with the tall boots. Joy thought he looked like one of the guys off "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and said, "Nate would NEVER wear that!" Styles they come, styles they go. It would be nice to see less of the boxer shorts.

Let's hear it for jeans material and overalls. Do you own a jeans jumper? I do have a jeans skirt or two that I like.

I have to get a photo of that Roy Restaurant corsette mural.

Hugs to the HSLounge Genius!
Marie

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Posted by MargoMargolia1

I agree the green silk dress is the only one that looks slightly comfortable! I'm glad your mom doesn't want you to wear corsets, sometimes they were so tight that a woman's rib would puncture her lung!
I'm glad I only have to wear a skirt to church and specail occasions seeing as I only have one dress which I'm supposed to wear on very specail occasions like recitals.

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Posted by BookLover

I think I'd rather wear a denim skirt! It looks more comfortable.
Amy

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Posted by bookworm12

hmm I like wearing dresses some times but I don't think a Corset? hmm well I'll have to find out LOL
Sarah

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Posted by sunflower8

I must agree with you Andi! I only like the green best. What is your best Adventure you have had so far? I have only heard of the first and second Adventure.
Bethany

Edited by sunflower8 on Feb. 28, 2008 at 9:34 AM

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