Girls cotton pinafore

Date1900 - 1910

Object number00018345

NamePinafore

MediumCotton

DimensionsOverall: 5200 x 190 mm, 0.05 kg

ClassificationsClothing and personal items

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionDuring the Victorian and Edwardian periods women and girls wore pinafores and smocks to protect their dresses. Worn as an apron and tied at the back with a bow, highly decorative pinafores with volumes of lace, embroidery and trimmings were also worn by girls for special occasions. This child's pinafore is made from a light white cotton material. Lace inserts and edgings decorate the round collar and short sleeves, and the gatherings at the neck and waist. Two long ties attached to the back are used to fix the pinafore together. HistoryBy the early 1900s a thriving tourist industry had become well established around the seaside towns of Australia. The beach had become a place for rest and recreation. Men, women and children took up the fashionable pursuit of promenading along the seashore. Wearing the 'uniform' of a white sundress, decorated and accessorised with hats and pinafores, usually white, to protect precious clothes and complexions from the harsh Australian climate, girls enjoyed playing beside the sea. White, cream, or ivory dresses were seen as a symbol of wealth during the Edwardian era. Wearing white or cream-coloured clothing meant you either had a maid at home or you could afford to pay another to wash your clothes. SignificanceThis girl's pinafore is a rare surviving example of children's clothing worn when visiting the seaside in the early 1900s.