Caroline Ingalls’ Pioneer Dresses from “Little House on the Prairie”

Posted by Edelweiss Patterns on May 20, 2011

Caroline "Ma" Ingalls' Sunbonnet and Flowered Blouse Little House Dress

Karen Grassle in her first episode of "Little House on the Prairie" as Caroline Ingalls

Haven’t you always loved the simple styles Caroline Ingalls wore for the “Little House on the Prairie” TV show? Despite the fact that she would often clean the chicken coop, weed the garden, and do the laundry out on the wide, open prairie, she always looked neat and clean. Not only did she stay tidy, she also wore long, gathered skirts with pretty cotton blouses which she kept in perfect condition. Whereas we would wear jeans and an old t-shirt for working in the yard, the courageous pioneer women of the 1800s were determined to look charming and well-dressed, even when doing hard physical labor.
So for this installment in our “Little House on the Prairie” original costume review, I’d like to highlight a few of Caroline Ingalls’ staples which Karen Grassle wore often in the first couple of seasons of “Little House“. If you look closely, you will notice that there are two mainstays in her wardrobe which debut in the pilot episode that were remade for the following season. At first glance one might think that they are the same, but apparently the costume designer felt the need to change it before the show continued. Shown below are two photographs of a calico blouse sporting small blue flowers on a white background. The one on the left shows a pointed collar, higher yoke, and closely spaced buttons. But for the remainder of the “Little House” series, Caroline wore this more flattering blouse shown on the right. It has a shawl collar, lower yoke, and more gathers with shell buttons down the front. In addition, they are actually two totally different materials! The first blouse shown was pure white, while the second had a pink checkerboard print in the background.

Charles and Caroline Ingalls in covered wagon in "Little House on the Prairie"

One of TV's most classic moments! Charles and Caroline proudly survey the prairie from their perch atop their covered wagon.

"Ma" Caroline Ingalls' flowered blouse and sunbonnet washing dishes

"Ma" Ingalls listens unhappily to Mr. Edwards telling Laura some tall tales.One of TV's most classic moments! Charles and Caroline proudly survey the prairie from their perch atop their covered wagon.

Karen Grassle as Ma Ingalls in "Little House" tv show

Caroline Ingalls wearing a pretty floral blouse with gathers underneath the sweetheart shaped yoke.

The next most photographed dress Caroline wore was probably her brown woolen dress. Whatever the occasion, Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls was often seen walking along in this dependable dress that had a fitted bodice that ended in a “v” in back, gathered skirt, and high collar. This was apparently a two-piece dress, as was common for the era this series was set in, which would have been from 1876 – 1889.

But this daydress’s counterpart which ”Ma” Ingalls wore in the pilot episode was a different style altogether. There were many similarities, to be sure, but the wool was a darker color, the bodice was not as well shaped, and the buttons and collars were obviously different. Given the fit of this version, I can understand why the costume designer for “Little House on the Prairie” sewed her a revised version of the same look. Personally, I think the dress filmed on the first episode made Karen Grassle look much too thin, not at all like the popular figure size shown in the post-Civil War fashion plates. Shown first is the original “Little House” dress, with the re-designed outfit below.

Charles and Caroline Ingalls with Baby Carrie Little House Dress

Caroline's sturdy brown wool dress is suited for hard work out on the prairie.

Karen Grassle plays Caroline Ingalls spinning wool on Little House on the Prairie

Karen Grassle portrays Caroline Ingalls as a true pioneer woman.

Karen Grassle as Caroline on the pilot episode of "Little House on the Prairie"

Caroline Ingalls spins wool in the "Little House" pilot episode - a chore we never see her do in any other Little House shows

Caroline stares at Mrs. Oleson in "Little House"

Caroline's updated dress had a "band" collar similar to what Laura Ingalls Wilder described in her books.

Caroline Ingalls walks into the Oleson's store in "Little House on the Prairie"

A familiar scene from "Little House" - Caroline arrives at the Oleson's Mercantile, basket in hand, to sell her freshly laid eggs.

Ma Ingalls talks with Mary in their Little House on the Prairie

The second brown dress, which Karen Grassle wore for many seasons of "Little House", had both horizontal and vertical darts.

Filed Under: Historical Costume, Little House on the Prairie, Sewing, Victorian Comments: 3 Comments to Read

A Beautiful Victorian Cotton Dress Worn by Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls | Edelweiss Patterns Blog said,

[...] she only wore once! For the pilot episode, which debuted in March of 1974, Caroline wore some pioneer dresses never seen again, and this outfit was no exception. This beautiful Victorian dress was had a [...]
Wendy said,

I love these dresses. Any idea where to get a pattern for them?
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Hi, Wendy! No, unfortunately I’ve never seen patterns like the ones that Caroline wore on the tv series. I know that either Butterick or McCalls does make a straightforward prairie dress for women, though, which you could probably alter to look something like the gowns shown here.

Happy sewing!

Katrina