Figure 1.-- This early CDV portrait shows a 7-year old boy wearing ajknee oants suit. The portrait is undated, but the square corners tell us it was an early CDV, we would guess the late-60s or early-70s. The two-color back suggests the early-70s. Note how long the knee pants were and the white long stockings. The boy has written his name and age on the back, but unfortunately is name is illegigble--something like Sam Isun. The studio was Cadwallader in Indianpolis, Indiana. Click on the image to see the back.

We note large numbers of American boys wearing knee pants suits at 7 years of age. We see many, but not all 7-year olds wearing knee pants suits in the 1860s. This was mnost common in cities and towns that were nost affected by fashion. We note many diffeent jacket styles. The knee pants were initially very long nd often worn with white long stokings. We see more 7-year olds wearing knee pants in the 1870s and they had become increasingly common as the decade progressed. We see striped long stockings replaning white stockings during the decade. Knee pants were virtually universal by the 1880s. We see tyhis very clearly in available school photographs which were becoming more common by the 1880s. And we see boys mostly wearing dark long stokings. American boys coninued wearing knee pants suits in the 1890s. By this time the knee pants were ctually knee-lngth. The same was the case in the 1900s when knickers became standard. A few boys continued to wear knee pants suits in the 1910s.

Created: 8:47 AM 9/8/2012
Last updated: 8:47 AM 9/8/2012