*** United States boys clothes: suits chrnology 20th century 1910s








United States Boys' Suits Chronology: The 1910s

boys suits 1910s
Figure 1.--Here we have stairstep brothers in front of the family home. The boys look to be about 1-13 years old. The white picket fence suggests small town America. The boys wear double-breasted knicker suits. The AZO postcard is undated, but the stamp box and above-the-knee knickers suggest the 1910s. Notice the boys all wear black long stockings.

We notice different suit jacket styles for boys in the 1910s. There is an enormous photographic record with which to work. Norfolk jackets continued to be popular in the 1910s. We see both single- and double-breasted jackets. Double-breasted jackets seem particularly popular. Knicker pants for suits became increasingly popular in the very late-1900s, relaing knee pants. Knickers were dominant in the 1910s, although we still see some younger boys wearing knee pants. Short pants werent yet common. Most of the suits we see in the 1910s while having varied jacket styles almost always had knicker pants. Some mostly younger boys wore outfits like sailor suits or Oliver Twist suits some done with knee pants, but knicker suits were much more common for school age boys, especially because after the first 2 years of primary school. Knicker suits became the almost universal style for American boys during the 1910s. This was not the case in Europe and began the development of very different clothing trends in America and Europe. We see some knicker suits in Europe, but knee pants and short pants were more common. A few American boys began wearing knicker suits with knee socks. We see some examples of this in the photographic record, but long stockings were much more common. The vast majority of American boys wore black long stockings. There were other colors, but the photographic record shows that back was the standard color when wearing suits.

Prevalence

As a result of the appearance of snapshots at the turn-of-the 20th century, here is an enormous photographic record with which to work. We can establish details onstyles and garments as well as prevalence with some percission. One notable observation is that boys still commonu wore suits, even to school. Boys still did not have large wardrobes with many garments. Ths a suit served for everyday wear as well as drssing up. A boy might have two suits, one served for best. This will be the last decade in which this was the case. Here America led the way because of its prosperity and the higher salaries for workers compared to Europe.

Garments

The three major suit gaments were jacket/ciat, vest, and pants/trousers. Headwear was not normally a partb of the suit. And we see a variery of headwear in the 1910s, but not as much as in the 1900s. Boys wore both hats and caps, but the dominant style by far was the flat cap. They were normally bought separely, but as the colors of boys suits were limited, some do seem to match. Some sailr suits had matching caps, but the sailor suit was begunning to decline in popularity the 1910s. Suit jacker continued to be standard boys' garments in the 1910s and worn for occassions that seem rather strange to us today as suits are nuch less common. We notice different suit jacket styles for boys in the 1910s, but as wide avariety as ws wornce worn. Jacket styles seem much more standardized. Norfolk jackets continued to be popular in the 1910s. Lapel sack suit jackets became standard in the 1910s. We see both single- and double-breasted jackets. They were the dominant jacket styles. Double-breasted jackets seem particularly popular. And there does not seem to be any age conventions. We see quite young boys wearing the double-breasted jackets. Boys here are good examples (figure 1). After the 10s, the double-breasted jacets begin to decline in popularity, especially for boys. We see fewer younger boys wearing them and the boys in general. We are not entirely sure why. We no longer see collar buttoning jackets to any extent, a style which had been popular for decades. We see fewer vests in the 1910s, but they were still widely worn. We only see boys wearing vests with suits. We rarely see vests without the suit jackets. And theyb almost always matched the jacket and pants. Knicker pants for suits became increasingly popular in the very late-1900s, largely replacing knee pants. Knickers were dominant in the 1910s, althogh we still see some younger boys wearing knee pants suits. Short pants were not yet very common, but were a natural eolutioin of knee oants that had dominated boys' wear for decades. Most of the suits we see in the 1910s while having varied jacket styles almost always had knicker pants.

Styles

One of the more interesting toics cincerning majorv garnments is styles. In thev 1910s e see both single- and double-breasted suits. Norfolk suits were also very popuilar. Juniir Eton suits appeared for younger boys. These of course are all jacket styles. This means that our 1919s jacket oage is also basically a suit style page. So we have combined the two pages.

Colors


Younger Styles

Some mostly younger boys outfits like sailor suits or Oliver Twist suits, some of wgch were done with knee pants. Knicker suits were much more common for school age boys, especially because after the first 2 years of primary school. Knicker suits became the almost universal style for American boys during the 1910s.

Europe

This was not the case in Europe and began the development of very different clothing trends in America and Europe. We see some knicker suits in Europe, but knee pants and short pants were more common.

Hosiery

A few American boys began wearing knicker suits with knee socks. We see some examples of this in the photographic record, but long stockings were much more common. This mean that stocking supporters were still very common. The vast majority of American boys wore black long stockings. There were other colors, but the photographic record shows that back was the standard color when wearing suits.







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Created: 2:44 PM 11/6/2010
Last updated: 4:45 PM 2/19/2023