Boys' Recital and Performance Clothes during the Inter-War Years (1920-45)


Figure 1.--At this rather formal summwe piano recital in 1936 there are six boys, two of which wear short pants suits with ankle socks.

Boys have taken clases to learn to play musical instruments from time immemorial. This was very common for affluent families during the 1920s-30s. The booming economy of the 1920s brought music lessons within the range of most familiies. Many schools at the time did not have music programs for children. Thus the children took music lessons after school. The Depression made this difficult for many fanilies, but many others found the way.

Piano was often the first choice for music lessons. It was particularly common to have daughters learn to play. Some mothers also insisted on their sons learning the piano or other instrument. The violin was another popular choice for boys. Many of the boys were not nearly as exited about learning, in particular giving up play time for the tedium of lessons and daily practicing.

Clothing Styles

Periodically music teachers would hold recitals for the children. The boys would always be dressed in their best suits. Mothers considered these very important occasions, the children were well scrubbed and decked out inntheir best dresses and suits. Some boys in the 1920s, especially the early 1920s still wore Eton collars. Boys suits were quite varied in the inter-war period. Depending on the family, country, and age, a boy might wear short pants, knickers, or long pants. Kneepants suits were still sold in the early 1920s, but soon disappeared. Knickers were especially popular in the 1920s, but began to decline in popularity in the 1930s, although they were still widely worn in America. Short aonts were almost universally worn by younger European boys.

National Patterns

The many photographs available of boys dressed up for recitals provide a useful reflection of dress clothing patterns in different countries. Parents that could afford it throughout Europe encouraged their children to learn an instrument. Mostly mothers in America did the same. Of course most mothers wanted a photograph taken of their sons, dressed in his best suit, on the occassion of a major recital. European boys often wore short pants suits, but older boys might wear knicker suits. American boys more commonly wore knickers, but some also wore short pants suits like European boys.






Christopher Wagner






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Created: December 31, 1998
Last updated: June 15, 2000