began to decline in the late 1950s. They were still available for younger boys in the 70s, but rarely seen since except as part of school uniforms. By the 1960s suits except for very little boys were generally made with long pants.
Knee Breeches
Both men and boys wore knee breeches during the 18th century. At the time a boy after brreching wore clothes similar to those worn by his father, only in smaller sizes. There were no purpose-made children's clothes. This did not begin to change until the appearance of skeleton suits with long pants in the late 18th century. After the turn-of-the 19th century you rarely see boys weafring knee breeches. It was a decade or two, however, before long pants became standard for adult men.
Long Pants
Long trouses appeared with skeleton suits at the end of the 18th century. English boys mostly wore long pants at the beginning of the 19th century until the mid-19th century. Several different types of shortened-length trousers appeared at mid-century. We notice boys wearing bloomer knickers and knee pants. Subsequently knickers also appeared. These shortened-length pants were commonly worn in the second half of the 19th century. At first only younger boys wore these shortened-length trousers, but they gradually became more common. Long trouses by the end of the century were less common for boys. Long trousers were mostly worn by older boys in the early 20th century.
Knee Pants
Modern knickers were esentially invented by mid-19th Century country squires as they found them more practical country wear than trousers. They were called knickerbockers. Knickers were being worn by English school boys by the late-19th Century. They were extensively worn by older boys in England. The English knickers were close fitting pants that came below the knee. By the 1910s shorts were becoming more important in England, in part because of the inluence of Lord Baden Powell's Scout movement. Knickers in the early 20th century had the meaning of short trousers which I believed continued until after World War II. One reader whose father operatred a mens' wear store tells us that his father used knickers for short trousers into the 1950s. English boys by the 1920s more commonly wore shorts although some older English boys wore knickers. Most English boys, however, when they outgrew short pants wore long pants. Knickers in the 1920s and 30s were not nearly as popular in England as in America. A British reader writes, "I certainly never saw them being worn here and believe they died out even earlier - maybe the 1920s - at which point most boys were wearing short trousers. By the way the word itself - "knickers" today has the meaning of women's underwear here and would cause us to giggle as kids in the 1970s. I'm writing part of my memories based around this fact as there was an expensive ice-cream called a "knickerbocker glory" sold at seaside resorts here and this brought back some amusing memories.I believe knickers is the short form of knickerbockers but I don't know why the ice-cream was so-called,
Bloomer Knickers
We notice younger boys wearing bloomer knickers in the mid-19th century. Theu were worn both with fancy suits and tunics.
We have no definitive historical information on the origin of short pants for boys worn with knee socks leaving the knee bare. They seem to have first appeared in England before the turn of the century. I believe that they may have originated with the British Army at tropical postings like India. They were given great popularity by Lord Baden Powell and his nascent Boy Scout Movement. I am not sure when the first shorts pants suits for boys appeared, probably the 1900s. The original shorts were generally worn quite long, often faling to the middle of the knee. Many English boys after World War I wore short pants suits. The popularity of short pants suits began to decline in the late 1950s.
English boys continued to wear long, relatively baggy cut shorts until the 1960s. The continental cut shorter cut became common in the 1970s. At the same time it became less common for older boys to wear shorts.
They were still available for younger boys in the 70s, but rarely seen since except as part of school uniforms. By the 1960s suits except for very little boys were generally made with long pants.
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Created: 12:44 AM 7/16/2005
Last updated: 9:59 PM 11/18/2007
