It’s no mystery that these three are related. Just look at their noses! The grandmother and mother share the same body shape and the little boy tilts his head just like his mom.
Was the grandmother’s dress homemade? If you look closely, you will see that the design on the skirt is not aligned across the panels. The belt is made from the same fabric, but rectangles are set horizontally, not vertically. To my eye, this disrupts the pattern even more.
There are interesting differences between older and younger styles. The older woman covers up more of her upper arms, an area long considered problematic for the older set. She wears tried-and-true oxfords, while the daughter has on casual saddle shoes, already very popular in the 1930s. The grandmother’s dress is slightly longer, also indicating a more conservative style. Both like ruffles, but the grandmother likes them more. However, in one area, the grandmother’s outfit looks a bit more modern to me. Her dress has an interesting geometric pattern, while the daughter has chosen small florals, more common on the old. The little boy is right in style with his swim shorts. He looks bit impatient—when will he get to the water?
What a great story!