Figure 1.-- Here we see a group of Freshman at the University of Wyoming at Larmie in 1913-14. We have the names of the students: from left to right, E. H. Davis, A. Downey, T. Foster, Garrett Price, M. Arnold, F. Fowler, and J. Anderson. The boys and girls here are aged about 18 to 19, having just graduated from high school. Two the boys (Davis and Anderson) wear the expected long trousers suits with white shirts and ties, but the third boy, Garrett Price (standing alone in the center) still wears a knickers suit with white shirt and tie.

The photograph here shows a group of Freshman at the University of Wyoming at Larmie in 1913-14. We have the names of the students: from left to right, E. H. Davis, A. Downey, T. Foster, Garrett Price, M. Arnold, F. Fowler, and J. Anderson. The boys and girls here are presumably aged about 18 to 19, having just graduated from high school a few months earlier. Two of the boys (Davis and Anderson) wear the expected long trousers suits with white shirts and ties, but the third boy, Garrett Price (standing alone in the center) still wears a knickers suit with white shirt and tie. We can't be absolutely sure but the way the knickers are bloused suggests that Garrett is wearing knickers that fasten above the knee. Note that the fold of the knickers comes just to knee level and not below. Of course he wears the customary long black stockings. The photo tells us something about age-grading in Wyoming in 1913-14, just before World War I--namely that a few boys, even after they had entered college, were still kept in knickers. There are several possible reasons for this. Perhaps Garrett Price was a bit precocious and had graduated from high school at a slightly earlier age than his fellow students (perhaps as young as 16). Or perhaps his parents were conservative and just believed that he should not be permitted to wear long trousers until he had actually turned 18. It is hard to know. Garrett does not seem to be embarrassed by the fact that he wears knickers while his fellow students wear long trousers, and the photographer has set him apart from the others by placing him in the center of the photo, thus emphasizing the distinction in his dress. Long trousers as a rite of passage in the United States was still very important in pre-war America. Perhaps Wyoming, a thinly populated Western state, was unusually conservative in the culture of its teenage clothing.

New Freshman

The photograph here shows a group of Freshman at the University of Wyoming at Larmie in 1913-14. We do not know why they were grouped together. Surely there were many more Freshmen. We have the names of the students: from left to right, E. H. Davis, A. Downey, T. Foster, Garrett Price, M. Arnold, F. Fowler, and J. Anderson. The boys and girls here are presumably aged about 18 to 19, having just graduated from high school a few months earlier. The number of girls is interesting. At the time it was more common for boys to go to university. Wyoming a other Western states, however, were more progressive thn many eastern states on issues like women's suferage.. Two of the boys (Davis and Anderson) wear the expected long trousers suits with white shirts and ties, but the third boy, Garrett Price (standing alone in the center) still wears a knickers suit with white shirt and tie.

Garrett Price

We at first knew nothing about Garrett and his family. All we have is the photograph here. We thought at first that Garrett mighr be a younger brother. He looks 2-3 years younger than the others. I don't think it is likely, howver, that he was a younger brother. If he were a younger brother, he would have the same last name as one of the other boys who are Freshmen. And what would be the point of including a younger brother of a student if the older Price brother wasn't in the photo? The source specifies that all the students in the photograph were entering Freshmen at the University of Wyoming. Perhaps Garrett was a bit precocious and had graduated from high school at a slightly earlier age than his fellow students (perhaps as young as 16). Or perhaps he was just small for his age. It seems likely that his parents were conservative and just believed that he should not be permitted to wear long trousers until he had actually turned 18 or 19. It is hard to know. Garrett does not seem to be embarrassed by the fact that he wears knickers while his fellow students wear long trousers, and the photographer has set him apart from the others by placing him in the center of the photo, thus emphasizing the distinction in his dress. A reader tells us, "The freshman in knickers you refer to as Garrett Price was my uncle, a very talented artist and illustrator for the New Yorker Magazine." [O'Neal]

Garrett's Clothing

Garrett wears a standard double-breasted knickers suit. These suits at the time were made in sizes to age 18 and we have seen some sone in size 19 tears. We can't be absolutely sure but the way the knickers are bloused suggests that Garrett is wearing knickers that fasten above the knee. Note that the fold of the knickers comes just to knee level and not below. Of course he wears the customary long black stockings.

Knickers Age Trends

The photo tells us something about age-grading in Wyoming in 1913-14, just before World War I--namely that a few boys, even after they had entered college, were still kept in knickers. There are several possible reasons for this. Sometimes boys who were small in stasture might more commonly wear knickers. Perhaps his parents were especially conservative or strick. Attitudes toward dress could vary sibstantially from family to family. Long trousers as a rite of passage in the United States was still very important in pre-war America. Perhaps Wyoming, a thinly populated Western state, was unusually conservative in the culture of its teenage clothing. Here I am not sure. T rather thought boys in Western states might be more likely to wear long pants.

Sources

O'Neal, Susan. E-mail message (November 2, 2012).

Created: 12:53 AM 6/24/2006
Last updated: 4:38 PM 11/2/2012