Short Pants/Trousers: Country Trends--Cause of Differences


Figure 1.--Clothing styles in the 19th century were quite similar in various countries, but we notice a lot more differences in the early- and mid-19th century. One of the differences were short pants. They were much more common in Europe than America. Some younger merican boys did wear shoirts, often boys from affluent families.

While it is relatively easy to identify trends in various countries, much more complicated is assessing why these differences existed and persisted over time. These differences may to an extent reflect hapanstance, but we believe that a range of economic, practical, cultural factors were also incvolved. A Canadian reader writes, "The quetion I ask myself is this one. Why Russian, German, Polish , Czeck boys were still in short pants instead of wearing long one as it was in America at the same time ? Do you have an answer to this crucial question ? Lack of material for making long pants ? Because long stockings were identified to childhood and because in USSR there was a cult for children ? Are the children from the country allowed to wear overalls? Is a quality like Levy's lacking ?" HBC is not at this time able to answer these questions. There are a number of factors that occur to us that may have been involved, but it is very difficult to definitively site a specific cause for fashion differences. Some times specific garments perfectly capture the temper of the times. Usually fashion shifts are more difficuklt gto assess. Here we will pose factors which seem to us to be relevnt. Readers are invited to add their insights.

Hapastance

Fashion differences may to an extent reflect hapanstance. Europe and America were separated by the Atlanyic Ocean, Communications were limited. The Trans-Atlantic cable was not operational until the 1860s. Many Europeans traveled to America as immigrants, but for the most part only affluent Americans traveled to Europe. Thus it is understandable that fashion differences developed, just as differences between American and British English developed. Yet it is remarble that in the 17th, 18th, and much of the 19th century that America followed Eyropean fashion.

Economic Factors

Economic is a factor that has to be considered. American and European fashions were very similar in the 19th century, in large measure because Americans fillowed European fashions. Not only did American purchase European fashions, but upper-class Americans traveled to Europe and brought back European clothes and tastes. Throughout the 19th century, it was the upper-class that set fashion and tastes. European fashion magazines circulated ikn America. And many Europeans emigrated to America. America after the Civil War, however, was a rising industrial power. Great fortunes were made and many lesser ones. With economic power comes fashion influences. Not only do prosperous people have more time an inclination to persue fashion, but the fashions of the wealthy and well-to-do have more influence. Thus by the late 19th century America began to persue fashion trends of its own. The first destinctly American fashion ironically was the rather aristocratic-lokking Little Lord Fauntleroy suit (1880s). The Fauntleroy suit was a type of sartorial overkill that newly rich Americans could show off their affluence. Fauntlelroy suits were worn in other countries, but no where was the Fauntleroy suit and ringlet curls more popular than in America. Thus the increasing economic success in America provides a background in which fashion differences could develop. A Gernman reader reminds us that" Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union tended to be poor and this is even the case today, in large part because of Communism." Yet German fashions were very influential in Eastern Europe.

Practicality

There are practical considerations to short pants. Boys are notoriously destructive with their clothes and running around can esily fall and tear their pants. Knees are particularly vulnerable. This may be a factor with the poularity of knee pants and short pants. Give the relative cost of clothing, this my be why some mothers preferred short pants. It is we know why Baden Powell selected short pants as part of the Scout uniform. Thus it might partially explain differences between countries at different income levels as well as social classes within countries. Practicality is certainly not a definitive answer. For example. short pants were for many years more popular with affluent American families than working class families.

Climate

Climate surely is a factor which affected country differences. Short pants were clealy more common in southern Europe than northern Europe. This trend is somewhat complicated by the fact that boys in several northern European countries (Germany, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia) wore short pants, but added long stockings when the weather got cold to keep them warm. One factor in America was that the winters in much of the country are more brutal than in Western Europe. Many American mothers did not think it healthy for boys to have exposed knees in cold weather. Period adverisements play on this widely held opinion. Of course areas of the United States have more mild weather, but fashion trends through the 19th and much of the 20th century were set in the northeast--especially New York.

Child Rearing Practices

An important factor was surely child rearing practices. Our Canadian reader writes, "I believe that in America, World War II brought radical changes in clothing while children were allowed to dress like adults. With mainly cinema where we went to look at cowboys films, we identify to some virile and MANLY heroes dressed like soldiers in the new frontier. Jeans were a kind of outfit for the bad and the ugly , not for a gentle boy succeeding at school, this future egghead recruted among "bourgeoisie". I remember how playing with toy guns were our main play on streets and parks." I think our reader is quite correct that child rearing practices are a factor. We have noted European commentators even in the 19th century commenting that Americans were more permissive with their children. And a uniform tendency among boys is that they want to dress like their fathers rather than wear juvenile styled clothes. This is especially the case by the time boys reach their ten years, but is notable even before. We think this is a major reason why fewer boys wore short pants in America than Europe. American boys tended to see shorts as for little boys or even girls and thus resisted wearing them.

Cult of Children

Our Canadian reader describes what he causes a cult of children. I am not precisely sure what he means. A German reader writes, "Cult for children? The "Young Pioneers" were like the Hitler Youth youth movement where membership was mandatory. Did this cult for children hsave an impct. Look at France. Without state control, short pants there were widely worn, although not so much with long stockings, due to climate."

War and Occupation

Wars ofen seem to be accompanied by major fashion shifts. World War I seems to have substantially weakebed the old class structure in Europe. This was reflected in a more relaxed, casual life style and fashion changes were part of the changes. Chuoildren befan to dress less formally. Short pants were one of the more casual, comfortable styles that became popular, although this was less true in America and Europe. Workld War II further the shift toward casual clothes. In Japan, defeat and occupation meant exposure to western influences. The Japanese during the American occupation increasingly adopted Western dress, although they seemed to have preferred European to American styles. This we see Japanese boys beginning to wear European-styled short pants. It should not be assumed that the defeated country always accepts the fashions of the occupying nation. Our Germant reader writes, "The USSR was not our friend. My family were not Nazis, but we like most Germans population didn't like the Soviets or Communists. There was thus no reason to follow them." In fact, German fashions seemed to have affected Soviet fashions. A good example is an account from a manager at Detskiy Mir, a major Moscow store for children's clothes and toys. He telkls how he helped replace long stockings with German-style tights.

American Influence

Our Canadian reader suggests that changes in Europe are due to the American influence. This may be the case to an extent. But this has varied chronologically. A German reader writes about the 1920s and 30s. "North America was far away, not much exchange by children, no films and TV to see what they were wearing in North America. Mostly only children from afluent families came to Europe in the first half of the 19th century. And in afluent families, I assume, short pants with long stockings were worn longer in North America (e.g., Canada) than in working class families. Why should children fashions change? Sorry to say, the people living in central and eastern Europe before World War II were not much interested in what the "yankees" did far in the west across the ocean in outfitting the 'kids'." American fashions do not seem to have been very influential in the 1920s and 30s. We do know tha American films circulated in Europe. Cowboy films were particularly popular with boys. And we know that American music, especially jazz had considerable influence. Fashions seem little affected. After World War II this seems to have changed. American jeans begfinning in the 1950s began to make a real impression in Europe. Our German reader writes, " About jeans we may have different opinions. I never wore jeans, and my son also did not wear them. How many boys (and girls!) have nowadays Levy's with big holes and rubbed legs, terrible, quality (?). This is dressing coming from the working population (coming up like in Mao's China, not all European people liked it). Your Canadian reader writes "outfit for the bad and the ugly". And, there is a time difference between wearing short pants and long stockings and coming up Levi's, 20 years in Europe. Again, it is a question of understanding how youngsters should be educated. I personally am not convinced that treating them like adults and allowing them all is the best way (sorry, I am an "egghead" grown up in the European cultural and ethic surroundings of the "bourgeoisie", yes, may be, that's the difference)."






HBC





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Created: 8:54 PM 6/2/2007
Last updated: 8:54 PM 6/2/2007