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For many centuries the girls costume was largely influenced by clothes worn by their mothers. This borrowing of style continued till the early years of the 18th century. The dresses of girls were made of silk in case she belonged to a rich family.
Silk was used as a means by the rich class of the society to show off their wealth. If the girl was from a poor family, then the girls and their female relations wore simple clothes made from cotton, linen, wool and lesser coarser fibers.

In the late 1600s the English Textile Industry started producing cheaper silks in Britain. However, the 18th century dresses were less formal and less stiff and comfortable for girls to move in. The Industrial Revolution brought in clothes that were cheap and less heavy. Victorian girls wore pinafores and smocks to cover their dresses. The embellishment of these smocks, pinafores and aprons depended on the occasion.
In the early 18th century, as soon as girls started running around, they wore dresses made of muslin, dotted Swiss, white percale, lawn and nankeen. The progressing years of the 19th century showed that the fashion of childrens clothes was what the adults wore but was never burdensome.

By the mid Victorian era, childrens clothes were featured in fashion magazines and in fashion plates. During the 19th century, under/ outer garments known as pantelettes were commonly used.
By 1825 people were fashion conscious. There was plenty decoration on the dress in form of ruffles, flounces and fur trims with the waistline moving down like adult dresses, along with decorated hats and bonnets.
The 18th century girls wore floor length gowns. The skirt length of a child was a sign of her age. Young girls in the early 18th century shortened their skirts. Girls of seventeen or eighteen years were considered to be a young lady.
Large sailor style collars and contrast rows of braiding ornate girls clothing in the late Victorian era. Girls wore flower and ribbon trimmed hats or bonnets. Puce, plum, scarlet red and navy were the strong colors worn. The invention of sewing machine enabled the garments to be decorated with extra frills and pleats. Fur muffs formed an essential accessory for the well groomed child.
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