Girl's Dress and Jacket, about 1870

A nice special occasion dress, worn with a blousewaist. The use of magenta and black together suggests a circa 1870 fabric - a popular aniline dye combination at the time. Also, the zouave-style jacket was popular in 1860s. The red and black silk "shag" trim on the jacket is interesting but is not a great match for rest of the piece. Overall, this girl's outfit has the feel of the bustle and puff style popular in women's dresses of the 1870s.

Boy's Jacket, about 1820

This jacket is for a very young boy, perhaps three or four years of age, and is notable for its exquisite hand-stitching. It belonged to the Mitchell family of Long Island, New York.

Boy's Jacket, about 1820

This young boy's military-looking jacket is unlined and was probably for summer wear. It belonged to the Mitchell family of rural New York State.

Boy's Knicker Suit, about 1860

The jacket and sleeves of this suit are reminiscent of 1860s zouave suits so popular around the time of the Civil War. It was likely used for summer wear.

Boy's Tweed Jacket, 1880-1900

Child's Dress and Jacket, 1850-1860

This outfit could have been made for use by either sex, but was probably made for a boy due to the shortness of the skirt (with knickers probably visible underneath). The printed wool is very fine. The flat-pleating all around suggests an 1850s date. A fashionable dress for warm weather.

Boy's Jacket and Shorts, about 1935

The shorts were found in the collection with the jacket and are presumed to be related. One wonders if the terriers were inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt's "Falla" - a dog that was beloved by Americans.

Boy's Suit, 1940

According to the donor, this suit was worn by Richard Royhans Johnson for his first communion, most likely at Visitation Church in Highland Park, Michigan (Johnson was born in Marion, Indiana in the spring of 1941 or 1942). It is a nice example of a shorts suit for a boy moving up from a knicker suit.

Denim Jacket, about 1973

Worn by the son of Elenore Lehmann Herkommer of Beverly Hills, Michigan, this is a great example of a young boy's waist-length jean jacket of the 1970s, when mass-produced rugged wear formerly reserved for the farm and ranch became fashionable casual wear among all social classes. Patches with a variety of images and slogans were a popular way of personalizing and adding visual interest to a piece, even if the wearer did not necessarily grasp their meanings (Schlitz, for example, was a popular b…

Girl's Parka, 1992

This piece was purchased by the curator on the recommendation of fourth-grade African-American students at Woodward Elementary School in Detroit, Michigan - they said that this jacket best represented "hot" styles that kids loved. It was purchased new from Marianne Kids on Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

Wool Baseball Jacket, 1949

Short, baseball jacket of navy colored wool trimmed in yellow. The initials SC are on the right front. This item was owned by Richard Wilson, the adopted son of Matilda and Alfred Wilson. Matilda was the wife of John Francis Dodge (October 25, 1864 – January 14, 1920), co-founder of the Dodge Motor Car Company in Detroit, Michigan.

Child's Wool Jacket with Lace and Corded Flower at Side Closure, 1921

White wool childs jacket with raglan sleeves. The neck, cuffs and bottom edging are in white satin covered balls. The front side closures are of white corded frogs and tassels. This item was owned by Frances Dodge (November 27, 1914 – January 24, 1971), who was the eldest daughter of John Francis Dodge (co-founder of Dodge Motor Company) and his third wife, Matilda Rausch Dodge (Wilson).