1940s 1950s SMILING TEENAGE GIRL WEARING FARM GIRL PIONEER OUTFIT CALICO DRESS BONNET HOLDING BASKET OF EGGS Stock Photo Alamy Old Sturbridge Village 19th century Bonnet Girl's Long Sleeved Dress, Apron and Bonnet Set MADE TO ORDER Victorian, Civil War, Prairie School Days, Old fashioned, Historical Etsy In the mid 19th century, little girls wore bonnets mainly for practicality and tradition. The bonnets protected them from the sun and were seen as a proper part of a young girl's outfit.