Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified boy in his First Communion suit. The portrait was dated 1931. He wears a dark three-piece knickers suit with matching vlavk ong stockings. Note the while sleece bow. It is difficult to maske out his bow and tie.

We note most American boys wearing knicker suits in the 1930s, especially the early 30s. They were often dark knicker suits. Thse dark knickers suit seems to be the most common outfit, although not as pervasive as these suits were in the 1920s. We also notice boys wearing white short pants suits. The whire suits were often short pants suits. Knickers suits were less common in white. They were not as common, however, as the dark suits. A good example is an uninidetified Catholic school, although we are not entirely sure just when the portrait was taken. The children are having a First Communion dinner. The boys wear white long stockings with what looks like long short pants, but with black shoes. Not all First Communions outfits involved suits. Suits were expensive. Many boys made due with less expensive alernatives. We also see boys wearing shirts and dress trousers. Earlier blouses were more common for these informal outfits, but by the 30s we see more shirts. We also see more boys wearing socks than was the case for the 1920s when the children mostly wore long stockings. Long stockings were generally seen as more formal.

Detroit Boy (1930)

Here we see a Detroit boy in his First Communion suit in 1930. The studio was S.A. Rochowiak, 8714 W. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, Michigan. The actual pgotographic image is about 3½" x 5¾". The fancy paper frame/holder was done with a cover. The paper frame is about 5¾" x 8½". The boy wear a conservative dark suit. We are not sure if this one is navy blue or black. We can't make out much detail. It is a knickers suit. He is wearing a white shirt and white tie. He wears black long stockings with the suit along with low-cut oxfords. He has a white sleeve bow.

Unidentified Boy (1931)

Here we see an unidentified boy in his First Communion suit. The portrait was dated 1931. He wears a dark three-piece knickers suit with matching black long stockings. Note the white sleeve bow. It is difficult to maske out his bow abd tie.

Detroit Siblings (1932)

These two unidentified Detrout siblings look to be photographed as part of their First Communion together. What we are unsure about is there different ages. By the 1930s, American children were duting heir fFirst Communions at avout 7 years of age. The girl here is definitedly doing her First Communion in her junior wedding dress. And she look about 7 years old. Here brother is older, perhaos about 10 years old. We would think that their parents would not have delyed his First Communion so long just so they could do it together. But he does have a sleeve bow. Usually that was for boys doing their First Communion. He wears a dark knickers suit with black long stockings which we see commonly in the 1910s and 20s as well as the early-30s. The studio was J. Iwanowski in Detroit, Michigan.

Unidentified Catholic School (1930s)

Here we have an unidentified First Communion scene. We think the children are having a First Communion banquet in the school gym/auditorium. We do not, however, see any food on the table, but are not sure why else they would be sitting at a table. The gym/auditorium is why we think it is a school rather than a church scene. The portrait is undated, but we think it was taken in the 1930s. The 1920s is possible, but it looks like the 1930s to us. Here the wedding dresses and shorts look more like the 30s than 20s to us. One reader guesses the mid 30s, about 1935. The girls' head veils suggest the early 30s to us. Perhaps the early 30s. First communion suits varied in the 1930s. Dark knicker suits seemed to have been the most common, but we see some white suits as well. The boys here seem to be wearing white shirts rather than jackets, although it is difficult to tell. This is important because outfits without jackets would be much less expensive for parents to purchase. After First Communion, there would be only limited opportinities to wear a white suit jacket. We are not sure what the chikdren normally wore to school. We would guess knickers would have been common in the 30s. Catholic schools at the time did not generally have uniforms, but they did have dress codes. The girls all wear white junior wedding gowns. The boys mostly seem to be wearing white short pants outfits. Two boys wear dark outfits, but we cant' make them out very clearly. One boy wears knickers. All the boys we can see wear white long stockings. It wasn't very common in the 1930s for boys to wear white long stockings. First Communion and other formal events were an exception. There are some children behind the table that we are mot sure about.

Unidentified Catholic School (1934)

This is a 1934 cabinet card portrait of a Catholic First Communion class. on their nig day pictured with a priest who led the class. It looks to us like the photograophic print was inserted in a mount frame. We think that means a group from a Catholic school not just a group of childen from the parish. he girls all wear white junior wedding dresses. The boys all wear suits. Dark, probly navy blue suits seem the most commomn. Many were probably bought new just for the occasion. Some look like they were suits they have had for some time. They were all knickers suits. Knickers were standard for American boys in the 1910s and 20s and still very common in ther early-30s, alythough we behon to see more long pants. They boys may have been given instructions about wearing knickers suits, but clearly not about color. Knee socks began to replace long stockings in the late-1920s. The knee socks could have loud pattern. The long stockings as we see here were mostly dark colors, especilly for the boys. The stdio was M. Niemiec in East Hampton, Massachusetts.

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Created: 1:45 AM 4/17/2009
Last edited: 6:59 PM 2/21/2018