German Boys' Clothes: Garments--Trouser Suspension Chronology


Figure 1.--Older German boys and men commonly wore suspenders in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We see fewer suspenders after World War I as belts became in creasingly common. A factor here was probably the Hitler Youth. Suspenders were not worn with the uniform, in part becaused of the leather belt and shoulder strap and the importance of the belt buckle. This HJ boy may have been Austrian, meaning the portrait was taken in 1938 or later.

Our information on trouser suspension in Germany is limited at this time, especially in the 19th century. We have, however begun to collect some information. Our inforation on the 19th century is incomplete at this time. We know much more about the 20th century. We are not sure when suspenders first appeared. German boys of all ages were wearing kneepants and long stockings in the late 19th century. They were very commonly held up with suspenders. Belts are more difficult to see in old photographs. We notice th belts are much more common after World war I, especially by the 1930s. We also note button-on styling in the 1920s, but are not precisely sure when it first appeared. Lederhosen with haltars were worn in the 19th century. Many younger boys wore blouses. It is likely that they wore a kind of under waist or some make-shift apprroach sych as pins to hold up their trousers. Kneepants were were rapidly repalaced with short pants and kneesocks in the 1910s. We do not notice suspender pants and H-bar pants until after World War I. These styles were widely worn by younger boys. Short pants were the most common. The suspender shorts appears to have been particularly popular in Germany. Perhaps the similarity with lederhosen halters were a factor here. Belts do not appear to have been very common until after World war I. Here the Hitler Youth in the 1930s may have been a factor in popularing the belt,

19th Century

Our information on trouser suspension in Germany is limited at this time, especially in the 19th century. We have, however begun to collect some information. Our inforation on the 19th century is incomplete at this time. We know much more about the 20th century. We are not sure when suspenders first appeared. German boys of all ages were wearing kneepants and long stockings in the late 19th century. They were very commonly held up with suspenders. Belts are more difficult to see in old photographs.

20th Century

We are still developing information about German trouser suspension trends in the 20th century. We had thought that suspenders were more common than belts in the early 20th centyry, but a German reader disagrees. Actually for younger bys, neither seems very common. We think that many boys had underwaists or make sghip arrangements involving pins. We do notice that belts are much more common after World war I, especially by the 1930s. We also note button-on styling in the 1920s, but are not precisely sure when it first appeared. Lederhosen with haltars were worn in the 19th century. Many younger boys wore blouses. It is likely that they wore a kind of under waist or some make-shift apprroach sych as pins to hold up their trousers. Kneepants were were rapidly repalaced with short pants and kneesocks in the 1910s. We do not notice suspender pants and H-bar pants until after World War I. These styles were widely worn by younger boys. Short pants were the most common. The suspender shorts appears to have been particularly popular in Germany. Perhaps the similarity with lederhosen halters were a factor here. Belts do not appear to have been very common until after World war I. Here the Hitler Youth in the 1930s may have been a factor in popularing the belt,






HBC



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Created: 10:53 PM 8/10/2007
Last updated: 10:53 PM 8/10/2007