Ameigh

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Ameigh

Number of Posts: 10

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Making a Baby Bonnet
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Sizing: premie-9 mo
Sizing: 1-4 yrs
Ameighs-Crochet-Knit.com

History of Premie thru 4 yrs Clothing

In the earliest years of clothing, prehistoric humans wore cloth made from vegetable fibers, Boucher said. Especially in colder climates, humans donned animal skins sewn or knotted around their bodies. They wore jewelry of wood or bone, Boucher said.

For much of history, infant sanitary needs were handled by putting absorbent material (moss, rags) into a sort of sling under the baby; the absorbent material was periodically replaced. The word “diaper” originally referred to the fabric – a type of linen – and not to its use on babies. Before diapers, babies were swaddled in cloths. Indeed, the main objective was to keep them upright so that their bodies didn’t become deformed. So they were swaddled in a first layer of swaddling clothes, with splints to keep their legs straight. This was followed by a second layer to keep the baby warm. Back before pastels were popular for babies, most parents dressed their kids in white dresses until they were about six. Historian Jo B. Paoletti says this outfit was practical: white cotton could be easily bleached, and dresses allowed convenient access for diaper changing.

Native Americans diapered their babies using Juniper, shredded cottonwood bast, cattail down, soft moss, and scented herbs were used as absorbent, disposable diapers.

Children in Ancient Egypt did not have to wear clothing until they were around six years old. And, the type of sandals Roman children wore signified their parents’ social status.

In the 1500’s swaddling was popular for a short period, but ankle-length white frocks and slip skirts for babies and crawling toddlers were popular.

In the 1600s, baby boys and girls dressed in the same way. Boys and girls wore gowns (one piece garments covering the whole body) with long sleeves and long skirts. When babies were learning to walk, long strips of fabric called “leading strings” were sewn into the shoulders of their gowns.

In the 1700’s, infants would be dressed in a shirt and “tailclout” (an early word for a diaper, cloth of course), and then a very long strip of fabric (usually linen) would be wound in a spiraling fashion the entire length of the baby’s body.

Before the 19th century, babies were swaddled in a tightly bound wrap. This may have been made of linen and basically immobilised the baby in a tight hold, very different to the way we treat our infants today. The dawn of a new century still kept young girls looking very childlike and innocent. Girls fashion included white cotton dresses with machine embroidered lace for spring and summer, with soft pastel colors used in basic stripes or tiny florals. Large hair bows and long curly hair were also very in style. During the Edwardian era, crawling babies wore practical one-piece rompers. Otherwise, children’s clothing styles were simplified adult styles. Young girls wore knee-length dresses, often starched and decorated with lace, with black stockings and shoes or boots.

In the nineteenth century [1800’s], infants’ clothing continued trends in place at the end of the previous century. Newborn layettes consisted of the ubiquitous long dresses (long clothes) and numerous undershirts, day and night caps, napkins (diapers), petticoats, nightgowns, socks, plus one or two outerwear cloaks.

In the 1950’s, a Vienna native named Walter Artzt revolutionized children’s fashion and the lives of those who cared for them, especially those who changed their diapers. Mr. Artzt, then living in the US, invented a one-piece sleep romper with a snap front designed to make diaper changes easier.