Please Don't Dress Me Like That, Mommy — 1909 Edition

Mommy, the boys tease me.

Just a quickie to remind us how fashions have changed. In my research, I ran across the following, an item in the New York Evening World of February 5 1909 under the heading "May Manton's Daily Fashions." It's a boy's suit.

I have friends who are interested in historic fashion (you know who you are), but the thought of some little boy getting dressed up in this thing—even in 1909—just seems ridiculous. He's a little boy, ma'am, not a doll. The text actually says that the suit "allows him to run and race to his heart's content" and describes the outfit as "masculine in effect." Please. Okay, it's more masculine than a pinafore, but come on!

I've included the whole piece below.