Figure 1.--Short pants for younger boys wete sometimes styled distinctively. This boy in 1960s wears shorts that have a romper look. Note that the horizntal stripes at the hem is a band and not a cuff. Also note the Peter Pan collar. This boy looks to be about 7 years old. |
HBC has little information on styling details for the short pants worn by Dutch boys. Some of the styles appear quite traditional. Others appear to have had destinctive Dutch or at least Continental styling. There of course have been styling changes over time. The most obvious here is the how the length of the shorts has changed over time. Boys tended to wear knee length shorts through the 1940s. Younger boys might wear shorter shorts. There were also some specialized styles for younger boys. The length of the shorts began to get shorter in the 1950s and by the 1970s boys might wear quite short shorts--although they were by then not commonly worn with suits for dressing up. Cuffs were not common until the 1990s. We do not have information on pockets attangements yet.
Some of the styles appear quite traditional. It would be hard to destinguish some photographs of Dutch shorts from similar photographs taken in Britain or even America.
Others appear to have had destinctive Dutch or at least Continental styling. These appaer quite different to the shorts worn uin Britain and America.
There of course have been styling changes over time. The most obvious here is the how the length of the shorts has changed over time. Boys tended to wear knee length shorts through the 1940s. Younger boys might wear shorter shorts. There were also some specialized styles for younger boys. The length of the shorts began to get shorter in the 1950s and by the 1960s, shorter length short pants were quite common. In the 1970s boys might wear quite short shorts--although they were by then not commonly worn with suits for dressing up. The new shorter length was especially popular for the casual shorts that were becoming common during the warm summer months. A new fashion of longer shorts became popular during the 1990s.
Rompers with bloomer styling were a popular style for usually pre-school children. Sme sgorts for younger boys had some elements of rompers, such as a hem band or slight bloomer styling gathered in at the hem with a band. These shorts often did not have pockets.
Some shorts for younger boys in the 1950s and 60s had a destibtive hem band. It could be in the same color and style as the rest of the shorts or be in a contrasting color or pattern. This was generally a style for a younger boy.
Dutch boys have worn shorts with a wide range of waist arrangements. Some shorts have attched suspenders while others have worn unattached suspenders. There are also shorts with belt loops, full elastiv and part elastic waists and shorts with self belts. A varietry of other waist arrangements have been noted.
We do not have information on pockets attangements yet.
Cuffs were not common until the 1990s. I have noted Boys wearing cuffed shorts before the 1990s. but they were not very common. Cuffs had the practical advantage on boys' long pants in that they could be let out as a boy grew. This appears to have been the reason for cuffs, for example, on German lederhosen. Cuffs on short pants, however, do not seem to be practical. The length of shopts or highly influenced by fashion and thus cuffs were less useful. They appear to have primarily been a stylistic element than a practical feature. This did become a popular style in the early 1990s, primarily on shorts worn by younger boys for dressier occasions and not casual styled shorts.
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