Life of A Pioneer Child/ July 17th, 2021

Pioneer children dressed very differently than children today! The clothing they wore reflected their age, social status and gender. Today we will be exploring the popular fashions for children in the 1800s when the O’Hara family first started their lives in Madoc.

Infant Clothing

Children grow very quickly, as a result infant clothing was made to accommodate a fast growing child. Loose dresses and jackets were made by mothers for their infants with room to spare as their young child grew. Pants called knickerbockers were worn by boys until the age of around 6-8, as it was considered acceptable for the children to continue to wear them even when they got shorter on their legs.

Both girls and boys were snugly wrapped in binders, which were strips of cotton or other material which helped to support their growing bodies.

Christening Gowns

Another important article of clothing for children was their christening or baptismal gown, which would be worn during these important milestones in their lives.

“Right across Canada, gowns were consistently ornamented with intricate pintucks, embroidery and lace. However, the cut of gowns and their accompanying garments, such as the bonnet and bunting bag, mirrored fashion. The bodices of most gowns were constructed with a triangular panel in the front and down the centre of the skirt, simulating women’s fashionable “hourglass” silhouette”.

Growing up and Changing Clothing

As children grew their clothing began to change drastically from the long dresses of their infancy.

Young boys were often dressed very similarly to girls. They wore their hair longer, wore wide brimmed hats and dresses. Darker clothing, with more decoration was more common for boys to wear and was one way that they could be distinguished from girls their age. Between the ages of 6 and 8 young boys would celebrate the “breeching” tradition. They were finally allowed to wear trousers like the older men and would receive their first haircuts!

Young girls also were gradually introduced to clothing worn by more mature women. Around the age of 5-6 they would begin to wear corsets, which were not always the most comfortable piece of clothing! In the 1850s and 60s young girls followed the fashion of the time of wearing a hoop crinoline, which supported their large skirts into a dome like style. Unlike ladies, young girls would wear dresses that fell just above the ankle to allow them to play and move more freely without getting their clothes dirty.

We hope you now know just a little bit more about children’s fashions during the lives of the original O’Hara settler family!