Figure 1.--This cabinet portrait shows Harry Smith holding a rifle with his dog beside him. The portrait was taken by Jackson in Franklin, Pennsylvania. He looks about 7-8 years old. The portrait is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1890s. Note the leather leggings.

Leggings were winter garments for children, obviously to keep their legs warm. We do not know very much leggings in America at this time. We do note some portraits of of younger children, both boys and girls, wearing leggings. They seem to be most common for pre-school children, although we see some older children wearing them. They were not very common for older children, most seem to have been children from wealthy families. . The first ones we see are leather. We see some boys wearing them with Fauntleroy suits. We also note less fancy outfits. A good example is an unidentifed American boy about 1905. The first leggings we see are for boys, but by the turn-of-the 20th century we see both boys and girls wearing them. In the early 20th century we note cloth leggings which gradually replaced leather. We note clothing leggings which matched coats. We see them into the 1940s, but they seem to have gone out of style in the 1950s. We're not sure why. This as far as we can tell was a garment worn by children from wealthy or at least affluent families. They became more midle class in the 1930s and 40s.

Chronology

We see quite a number of children, both boys and girls, wearing leggings in the 19th century. Our chronolohogical informatiion, however, is very limited. We have no information on leggings in the early- and mid-19th century. The earliest images we have at this time are from the 1870s, but we suspect that leggings were worn eaelier. As we have Dags and Amvros from the 1840s and 50s, we suspect that leggings are a garment children began to wear in the 1860s, but we can not yet confirm that. . Leggings seems to have been a style for children from well-to-do families. The photographic record supports this conclusion. Most of the portraits we have found appear to be children from affluent families. The 19th century bimage are often leater. After the turn-of-the 20th century by the 1910s we see cloth leggings almost exclusively. They also seem common in the 1930s and 40s. An American reader writes, "Both my sister and I wore leggings in the 1940's in New Jersey as part of "snow suits". I know they closed with zippers, but I don't remember if they were attached to anything at the top or were "free standing".

Seasonality

Leggings were winter garments for children, obviously to keep their legs warm.

Gender

We do not know very much leggings in America at this time. We do note some portraits of of younger children, both boys and girls, wearing leggings. The first leggings we see are for boys, but by the turn-of-the 20th century we see both boys and girls wearing them.

Age

We see children up to about 10-years of age wearing leggings in the 19th century, but most of the children seem to be about 6 years of age or younger. The American children by the 20th century seem to be mostly pre-school children, although we see some older children wearing them. They were not very common for older children. We usually have to estimate ages in photograohic portraits. Catalogs usually give the age sizes. We continue to see leggings through the 1960s, bu were going out of style by this time. We note Best & Co offering winter sets (overcoats with matching leggings and caps) in 1967 for boys up to 6 years of age.

Social Class

Most leggings seem to have been children from wealthy or at least affluent families. This as far as we can tell was a garment worn by children from wealthy or at least affluent families. They became more midle class in the 1930s and 40s.

Material

The first ones we see are leather. We see some boys wearing them with Fauntleroy suits. We also note less fancy outfits. A good example is an unidentifed American boy about 1905. In the early 20th century we note cloth leggings which gradually replaced leather. A good example of knitted leggings weee a pair worn by one of the Benmett children in the 1910s. We note clothing leggings which matched coats. We see them into the 1940s, but they seem to have gone out of style in the 1950s. We're not sure why.

Created: 9:25 PM 2/20/2008
Last updated: 11:25 AM 6/5/2015