Lea Rose’s Wardrobe

“A petticoated boy’s world is one of women. Grandmothers, Mothers, sisters and aunts, female friends, lady visitors, maids, seamstresses, and governesses. These petticoated boys were either unwilling to be in male company (often out of a sense of indignity arising from their feminised position), or were simply denied such company by family members wishing to ensure the boy remained secluded within the feminised domestic space. In fact, petticoated boys were often considered an intrinsic part of this space, and did not enjoy the freedom to leave as other women had. Outdoor activities or public places such as restaurants, sporting events, and theatres were all deemed unsuitable. Petticoated boys were considered particularly vulnerable to bad moral influences, and strict rules of deportment and dress, along with rigid schedules of feminised household labour, were seen as essential.

One of the few roles deemed appropriate was nannying and childcare, yet, even here, petticoated boys were only permitted to nanny girls. Nevertheless, such an arrangement granted new freedoms for new mothers, even for those of only middle-class means. They now had permanent access to childcare, a privilege once only available to families who could afford professional nannies. They could return to and enjoy the liberties and pleasures of public life, knowing that the unpleasant day-to-day labour of raising children was being taken care of.”