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We see boys wearing robe like kimonos in the 19th century. These were not fancy garments. We suspect that boys from well-to-do families had kimonos done in luxurious materials, but most boys had the basic robe-like kimonos. We do not see boys wearing Western dress to any extent until after World War I in the 1920s. This transition at first was orimarily in the cities, but gradually spread into rural areas. The transition initially was most notable at schools. The transition to Western dress took place very quicly. And by the 1930s we mostly see boys weraing Western dress. We suspect that boys from well-to-do families also had kimonos at home for special occasions. We do not know how common this was for most of the population, but suspect that it was not common. This began to change, ironically after the Pacific War. The Japanese Economic Mirracle led to unprecedented prosperity which extended to working-class families. Western dress had become standard for all Japanese. We begin to see children with fancy kinomo outfits for specual occassioins. The boy's kimono here is a good example (figure 1). Some adults wore kimomos for casual wear at home. This was not common for children. But we see children wearing kimonos for special occassions. This included both festiVals and celebrations like Children's Day and Boys' Day. Kimonoms can be quite exoebsive, but Japan's economic success meant that most families could afford the expense. As for teenagers, many girls had fancy kimonos, but far fewer boys.
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