Top to Toe: Milestones

Milestones can demonstrate the development of children through physical size and age. In the mid 19th century a girl’s age could almost be attributed to the length of her skirt, short for younger girls and full adult length for those older. Breeching, the stage at which a boy would be put into his first pair of breeches or trousers has in the past been a highly significant milestone in a boy’s development. There would often be a ceremony to celebrate his journey into the adult world. 

Hairstyles, shoes and accessories as well as actual garments can play a large part in how a child has been seen to develop and mature or how grown up they themselves feel. A girl’s first bra, or in the past, her first tightened corset, could be seen to symbolise her entry into the female world. Read on for Changing Fashions...