Dresses Designed for Little Girls

1949

National Agricultural Library

Leaflet Number 255

Dresses best suited to little girls 2 to 6 years old are designed especially for a child's way of doing things. Styled for comfort, they allow for growth and freedom of action. The dresses are easy to put on and to fasten; they encourage a child to dress without help. They are dainty, yet sturdy enough for playtime and for frequent washings. Their beauty lies in simple styling, with becoming lines and colors, not in fussy decorations.

The designs pictured here show how simple styles, suitable materials, and good workmanship can be combined to make functional dresses that are also pretty.

In choosing little girls' dresses, whether you make them at home or buy ready-mades, consider the following points.

Comfortable styles

• Dresses without belts — little folks don't have waistlines. Fullness — gathered, pleated, or circular — set in at each side of the front and back looks best and allows for action and growth.

• Roomy armholes and short sleeves without cuffs or bands. Bands hamper arm movement, and they become tighter as the child grows. Sleeveless dresses, with wings or ruffles for a perky look, are good for hot weather.

• Collarless neck lines, low in front. Neck lines cut too high are uncomfortable and may soon be outgrown. Collars are bulky and inconvenient under wraps.

• Dresses short enough not to be under foot when a child stoops at play. Have little girls' dresses well above the knees, but not too short. Experiment a little to see what length looks best. A 6- to 8-inch hem allows for letting a dress down.

• Dresses without fancy trimmings. Dangling trim, and sashes and bows that come untied get in a child's way, hamper action — may even be hazardous.

U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Human Nutrition and Home Economics