ABSTRACT
In painting the aristocratic and gentry children, Sir Joshua Reynolds navigated around the artistic theories that he presented in his Discourses, popular domestic ideologies, parental preferences and new fashions for children. While eighteenth-century concern over child rearing dramatically influenced the redesign of children's dress and established fashion guidelines for girls clothing. The reconfiguration of dress in the eighteenth century ensured that girls from toddler to puberty wore the same style; they all dressed like little girls. With few exceptions, American girls between the ages of five and twelve wear clothing styles that closely approximate mainstream adult fashion. Like adult styles, the preferred look for young girls is predicated on popular culture and current fashion trends. The Florence Eiseman Company established the standard for contemporary classic girls' clothing with their first collection. Focusing on girls' special occasion clothing, Joan Calabrese has signature designs in the costume collections of both the Metropolitan Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
