Figure 1.--While one seen as folk costume, Lederhosen became popular boyswear in Germany during the 1940s and 50s, by the 1960s they were being replaced by jeans and were becoming more common for younger boys. This photograph is undated, butv we suspect was taken in the 1950s.

Lederhosen have been worn in Germany, beyond Bavaria, since the 1920s. It is difficifult to assess their popularity during the 1920s and 30s. They do not appear to have been rare. HBC has noted numerous images of boys wearing lederhosen. Lederhosen appear to have been very popular in Germany during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. As far as I can tell, they were garments that boys asked their mother to purchase for them. Hopefully our German readers can add some insights here. In Eastern Germany the stayed popular until the 1980s. Gradually jeans replaced lederhosen as casual wear. Boys wanted to wear jeans rather than Ledershosen, although Lederhosen have not disappeared. Nowadays lederhosen are rare, except for Scouts or folk events. Today in Germany, a boy would be unlikely to wear lederhosen to school or for play. They might be worn for dressing up, probably mostly in Bavaria. For the most part they are not garments that many German boys would ask their parents to purchase.

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Created: 2:16 AM 1/11/2006
Last updated: 2:16 AM 1/11/2006