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Younger American boys commonly wore bloomer knickers. We also see them being widely worn in Europe. Here the pattern varied chronolgically. American trend in the mid-19th century seem basically a refection of European trends, We see younger boys wearing a variety of fancy suits with bloomer knickers. By the late-19th century we see destinctive Anerican trends. We note many American boys wearing bloomer knickers with tunic suits at the turn of the 20th century. Tunic suits with bloomer knickers were one of the most popular styles for younger boys. We believe that many were made with bodicies, although that can not be determined by the photographic record. The elasticized knee hems are easier to make out. Almost always American boys wore their tunic suits with bloomer knickers. They were wudely wirn from the late 1890s through the eraly 20s. Bloomer knickers were commonly worn with the same above the knee long stockings worn wuith knee pants, but some boys wore them with socks. HBC is not precisely sure what the contemporary term for these pants was. We notice catalogs using various terms. At the time that tunic suits became popular at about the turn of the 20th century, most American boys wore knee pants, but by the 1910s, knickers were more common, especially for older boys. We are not sure to what extent bloomer knickers were worn other than with tunic suits. We see boys of all ages wearing knickers, but it is not always clear if they are bloomer knickers or regular knickers.
Younger American boys commonly wore bloomer knickers. The age limits seem to be primaroly about 2-6 years of age. This is based primarily on the sizing of tunic suits. We see some tunic suits being made up to size 8 or even older, but these were less common than the suits neing made through size 6s. The older sizes were usually done with sailor styling. One point here. The elasticised leg closures wre not just a convenience. They were particularly useful for very young children who would have trouble with buckles. I think that by age 6 they could probavbly handle buckles, but younger boys might have had trouble. We note the Hubbard brothers in 1917. The three younger boys from about 3-8 years of age wear tunic suits with bloomer knickers.
We also see them being widely worn in Europe. Here the pattern varied chronolgically and from country to country.
American fashion trends in the mid-19th century seem basically a refection of European trends. This included both children and adults. Boys in the early-19th century wore long pants. We begin to see shortened-lenth pants t mod-centuty. Ir as fashionble trend imported from Europe. We also see boys wearing a variety of suits. Most boys wore long pants, but we see some boyswearing shortened-length pants. The most common tyoe was straight-leg knee pants. We do see some bloomer knockers in the 1860s. They were mot as common as long pants and knee pants. After the 1860s, bloomer knickers became less common. they were much more common in Europe. By the late-19th century we see destinctive Anerican trends. We note many younger American boys wearing bloomer knickers with tunic suits at the turn-of- the 20th century. Most American boys wore their tunic suits with bloomer knickers. They were widely worn from the late-1890s through the early 20s. At the time that tunic suits became popular at about the turn of the 20th century, most American boys wore knee pants. Boys tended to wear tunics suits, however, with bloomer knickers. A good example is Harold Howes in 1905. By the 1910s, knickers were more common, especially for older boys, but the younger boys wearing tunic suits still wore bloomer knickers. A good example is the Hubbard brothers in 1917. Generally knee pants went out of style in the 1900s decde anbd anerican boys began wearing proper knickers. We see bloomer knickers while tunics suits were popular, but they disppeared in the 1920s when tunics went out of style.
Tunic suits with bloomer knickers were one of the most popular styles for younger boys. They were primarily worn with bloomer knickers, but se see some worn with knee pants as well. Much of what we know about tunic suits is based on our understanding of gtunic suits.
We believe that many were made with bodicies, although that can not be determined by the photographic record. The elasticized knee hems are easier to make out.
We are not entirely sure how bloomer knickers were held up. We know thart some were held up with bodices. We are not sure, however, just how common this was. We had thought the bodice was primarily comcerned with skirts and kilts, but we know from available patterns that some were done with bodices. A reader writes, "Bloomer knickers could be attached to a bodice (as one of your images shows) or could perhaps just be a separate garment that buttoned on to an underwaist. Maybe some bloomer knickers
were held up by belts or suspender straps underneath a blouse or tunic." Here we just do not know at this time. We do not yet have any photographs or catalog entries showing any other type of suspension. So this is an open question.
Bloomer knickers were commonly worn with the same above the knee long stockings worn wuith knee pants, but some boys wore them with socks.
HBC is not precisely sure what the contemporary term for these pants was. We notice catalogs using various terms.
We are not sure to what extent bloomer knickers were worn other than with tunic suits. We see boys of all ages wearing knickers, but it is not always clear if they are bloomer knickers or regular knickers.
We see bloomer knickers being worn with a variety of outfits by boys in the mid-19th century. At the turn if the 20th century, we mostly see them being worn with tunic suits. A HBC reader believes that bloomer knickers were not just worn with tunic suits. He believes that bloomer knickers were made for younger boys, but with out the bodice. He writes, "I have the impression that bloomer knickers tended to be worn primarily by younger boys--ten years or younger. The buckles might be difficult for younger children to manage whereas elasticized hems would be easier for them. My main point is that bloomer-style knickers would almost be necessary if the knickers were short and closed around the middle thigh. Strap closures around the thicker part of the leg would be awkward and impractical. The strap and buckle arrangement derives from knee breeches (an 18th-century garment) which always came down to the knee." Here we are unsure. We have not noted bloomer knickers advertized in period catalogs. We were not sure what the knee hem closing arrngement was for the knickers offered in the smallr sizes. We at first though the closures were elasticized, but have since determined they were draw strings.
We believe that most tunic suits were made with bloomer knickers. There are several reasons for that. We have patterns showing the construction with both bodices and elasticized knee hems. Many tunic suits were made in light-weight summer material that was easier for mothers doing home sewing. Heavy material was more dififficult to work with when doing elasticized closings. Some tunic suits were dine in heavy material, but most reguklar knickers used this material. A HBC reader wonders if some boys wearing knickers with blouses did not have bloomer knickers rather than the regular knickers with button or buckle closures. Here we are not sure. We had thought that these were regular knicklers, but we are not sure. We do not yet know enough about the subject to make any definitive statement.
Her writes, "I suspect that a Florida boy (1922) wears knickers with elastic bottoms. If the knickers fasten very far above the knee (as some of our illustrations show), a buckled closure wouldn't hold very well and they would slip down. Note also the younger of the two Pittsburgh brothers, who may be
wearing above-the-knee knickers or, alternatively, rather briefly cut knee trousers. If this boy is wearing regular knickers (which I slightly doubt), the closure would almost have to be elastic rather than a strap of self-material with buckle. Note this Texas boy (1926). I would bet that these knickers are elasticized rather than buckled because of their high position on the leg." This is a question that we hope to resolve as we learn more about regular abnd bloomer knickers.
These bloomer knickers should not be confused with the knickers that appeared in the late-1930s with elasticized knit cuff closures instead of the elasticized knee closures of bloomer knickers. None of these knickers with the knit closures should be considered bloomer knickers they did not have, in additon, the bodies that many bloomer knickers had. These knickers with elazticized knit cuff closures should be consiferd regular knickers. These knickers appeared well after above-the-knee knickers and bloomer knickers had gone out of style. The knit cuffs replaced the bothersome band and buckle. Boys are well-known for resisting anything that is bothersome or complicated.
We note these knickers offered by Sears in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Knickers with these cuffs were easy to put on and take off, but they were notorious for slipping down the leg when the cuffs got stretched with use and washing.
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