The Fashion Timeline of Baby Clothes

Baby clothes have transformed from simple cloth to more elaborate, intricate wear and to the clothing for infants of today, which include imitations of adult clothes. Clothing for infants has not always been on the forefront of fashion. There was a time when clothing a baby was a lot more inexpensive unlike today when the cost of buying infant clothing can be outrageous.

In ancient times babies were often swaddled. Swaddling infants meant that then infants were wrapped tightly head to toe in cloth, so tightly that the babies could not really move and sometimes to further restrict their movements swaddling bands were used. The babies were often in swaddling clothes until they were about a year old. The rich often had more elaborate swaddling clothes than the poor, due to status they often liked their babies to look the part. Babies in poorer families who were not swaddled were usually left naked. In the late 1700’s instead of swaddling infants changed some and by the 1800’s was virtually discontinued. In the first half of the 1800’s infants were made to wear clothing that was reminiscent of the adult’s formal wear, still very tight. In the second half of the 1800’s infants were wearing long gowns and caps.

Things began to change in the first part of the 1900’s boys and girl infants alike wore layettes. Layettes are long day gowns with long sleeves. People would trim the layette with tatting or embroider them and make them a matching cap to wear with it. Matching sacks were made for the babies if the night was cool the baby could be put in it to help keep it warm. Baby dresses were often intricate and lace insert were used along with scalloped sleeves. Seersucker fabric was used in the 1940’s to make infant clothing. A lot of people made their infant and baby clothes by sewing them, either on a sewing machine or by hand. Many people crocheted their baby clothes as well.

In the 1960’s baby clothes started looking more like an imitation of adult clothes. Little dresses and pants often in the same fabrics, comfort was an important consideration of what type of fabric to use. Infant shirts made out of flannel or cotton and snap jeans made excellent choices for the winter wear of the infant. Baby bunting also came into play in warm fabrics. By the 1990’s infant sweatpants and sweatshirts were in fashion and many people bought name brands for their infants as well as matching shoes. Since then not much too much has changed in the world of baby clothes although the market is always looking for new designs.

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About The Author: Melanie Hayslette graduated from Glenville State College with a BS in psychology. She has been published mainly in poetry but is a now a respected consumer journalist. Melanie freelances for many companies and she is becoming an expert in consumer affairs.