Girls Bonnets and Aprons
The selection of bonnets shown are those that coordinate with the dresses on display.
There are many to choose from, not just the selection shown here.
As always, you are encouraged to use your imagination and mix it up as they did on the prairie.
Bonnets and dresses did not always match.
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Bonnets
Wide brimmed bonnets worn by girls and women were not only a basic part of fashion and custom,
but also a necessary accessory to protect against the harsh summer and winter winds
out on the prairie.
For everyday wear, bonnets
were hand made from scraps of old, worn out dresses and usually did not match the dress.
Indoors, the brim was folded back. This made it so much easier to see what
was going on, particularly in a cold schoolroom.
On
a beautiful spring day, girls slid the bonnet off their head. It was worn on the back, still tied around their
neck,
always at the ready in case a storm kicked
up.
I
always told the girls coming into my shop that this was kind of the first hoody.
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Bonnets
Protection from the wind and the rain was vital out on the prairie because the
biggest reason bonnets were worn was to keep the hair clean.
Without running water (the rivers and streams were frozen in the winter), the hair
had to stay
as clean as possible throughout the winter
because it could not be washed.
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Traditional June Weddings
The tradition of June weddings had its start in early America
out on the prairie.
It was because the
rivers were frozen, the pioneers waited until June for the rivers to run free so that everyone could take a bath for
the wedding.
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Girls Aprons
Girls aprons are made from
100% cotton muslin just as they were in the 1800's.
For sizing information and
pricing visit: www.etsy.com/shop/williamscreek
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Aprons
Aprons were worn for one purpose only.
To keep their dress clean. Out on the prairie, there weren't any stores and everything had to be made by hand.
Girls usually had one dress that was worn every day.
Young girls donned their apron before their morning chores.
Many wore that same apron to school.
Working in the
fields and gardens and feeding the livestock were a normal part of the daily routine
and trousers were not accepted as proper attire for young ladies and women.
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Taking a Vintage Photo
Taking a vintage photo, or one that makes it look like it happened
150 years ago, requires two things.
One, convert
the photo to black and white or sepia and two, no smiling.
In photos that were actually taken many years ago, it is quite noticable that most folks were not smiling.
The reason is simple. Without the dental care we have
today, teeth were horribly decayed or missing.
Joey's
girls at Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI.
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