Children's Fashion Revolution

Belle Époque children's fashion evolved from miniature adult clothing toward age-appropriate dress. Kate Greenaway's illustrations popularized romantic children's styles—smocked dresses, sailor suits, liberty bodices. These designs, allowing greater movement, reflected new ideas about childhood as distinct life stage.

Jeanne Lanvin led children's fashion innovation. Her designs for daughter Marguerite—featuring child-friendly fabrics, practical construction, and whimsical decoration—attracted other mothers seeking beautiful yet wearable children's clothes. Lanvin's "robes de style" for girls influenced fashion long after children outgrew them.

The sailor suit became universal children's wear across classes. Originally English naval uniform, it suggested healthy outdoor life and patriotic values. Both boys and girls wore variations—boys in trousers, girls in skirts. The style's adoption by French republicans seemed ironic given its military origins, but its practicality transcended politics.

School uniforms standardized children's appearance while maintaining class distinctions. Elite lycées required expensive uniforms marking students' status. Municipal schools mandated smocks (blouses) hiding clothing differences, promoting republican equality. Yet quality variations in these supposedly uniform garments revealed persistent hierarchies.

Child models emerged as fashion expanded. Photographs of beautifully dressed children advertised department stores' offerings. These images—children playing in impractical white dresses or posed like miniature adults—created impossible standards for real families. The commodification of childhood innocence through fashion had begun.