Randomly gathered in European Museums’ collections, children’s clothes have many stories to tell. Sometimes sparse elements of a decayed wardrobe; sometimes pristine gems of once in a lifetime events; these clothes not only narrate the memories of past childhoods but also the history of our society.

Based on the investigation of a selection of wardrobes dated from 19th century onwards – National Museums of Scotland, Fashion and Textile Museum (Cholet, France), V&A Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood – this chapter will analyse the garments and their related memories to investigate the impact of dress codes in the social construct of children. At the intersection between archaeology and design anthropology, this object-based approach will provide the template to decipher the mechanisms involved in children’s dress codes and their significance in the education of future adults.

The testimonials on children’s fashion allow an access to the memories of childhood via the words and the re-enacted sensations of adults as grown-up children. The garments themselves, through their wear and tear, mending, modifications and embellishment, speak about their function and usage for a socially and physically growing child. Gender, age, social position, inclusion or exclusion, are revealed in the outfits and memories ; as well as the daily adventures and necessary experimentations of children in action. These collections document the educational impact of clothing as a way to stimulate the child’s imagination, to build their representation of the world, as well as a medium to experiment the otherness while contributing to their family status.

Finally, this chapter questions children’s clothes in their ability to act as catalysts in the construction of their social and familial identity, in a world where, up until fairly recently, the voices of the young people are hardly ever conveyed in the design of their material environment.