Through the centuries children's clothes reflect the concerns of parents and shifts in fashions. The needs of the child, changing ideas on health and upbringing, evolving social attitudes, and new technology all find expression in their dress. Its development, and its changing relationship with contemporary adult dress, offer a revealing picture of the time, as each garment bears the imprint of a way of life. This book examines children's clothes in England from 1500 to 1900. As well as studying surviving garments, the author uses evidence from letters, journals, paintings, sculptures and drawings, to give fresh insight into the clothes, their construction, and the world in which they were worn.