Welcome to the Child's Play blog!

Welcome to the Child's Play blog! We hope that this will be a place where you can share your thoughts about the Child's Play exhibit, including your own memories of clothes you wore as a child, as well as what your parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren wore.


From a 19th century unisex cotton batiste baptismal gown, to a girl’s 20th century polyester pant suit, and a boy’s 21st century Spiderman play ensemble, Child’s Play illustrates the conscious and unconscious messages sent by the manner in which we clothe our children. Organized by the Sage Historic Costume Collection at Indiana University, Child's Play is on view at the Monroe County History Center, Bloomington, Indiana, until February 27, 2010.

The photograph above is the invitation image from the Child's Play: Aesthetics, Gender, and Children's Clothing exhibition. The two mannequins on the bottom level wear cotton ensembles made in clothing construction classes at Indiana University in the 1930s. The maroon and white windowpane plaid dress and pantalettes at the top is a boy's ensemble from the 1860s. It was common practice for a boy to wear dresses or skirted suits when he was too old for white toddler dresses, and too young for trousers.