Up until the early 20th century, young boys in Europe and the United States wore dresses and skirts. “Breeching,” the practice of boys being dressed in pants for the first time, typically happened between the ages of two and eight. Before the invention of zippers and snaps, most pants were fastened with rows of small buttons. Skirts were much easier for diapers and toilet training. But there were also cultural ideas about separating the innocence of early childhood from more gendered responsibilities for older children. Sometimes there were details or fabric choices on boy’s dresses that people at the time identified as more “masculine” but often the only way for historians to know if it was a girl’s or boy’s dress is information from the family. The donor of this dress stated that it belonged to one of her uncles, either Francis or James Inman.