|
Self-belted shorts were a popular style of short pants for several years. These were shorts with belt loops. They came with a cloth belt done in the same color and material as the actual shorts. Many were done as button-on shorts with the belt covering the buttons. These were button-on outfits with the belts coverung the buttons. This meant that the belts were actually ornamental with no practical purpose. We are not sure when they first appeared. It might have been the mid-1920s. We know they were a common style in the 1930s and 40s. We also see them into the 1950s, but by that time were not button-on shorts. We see both play shorts as well as dressy short pants made with self belts. My mom bought me two pairs for camp in 1954 when I was about 11 years old. They were commonly offered in catalogs. We note them with shorts sets. I'm not sure about the age range, we think it was primarily about age 4-12 years. We believe that some camp shorts in the 1950s and 60s were offered with self-belts. We think this was primarily an American style. We're less aware of these shorts being worn in other countries. We have seen some in Britainm but have not yet noted them on the Continent. Some long pants were also made in the same way, but the shorts seem more common.
Several examples of these shorts have been archived on HBC. As far a we can tell, this was primarily an American style. We notice these shorts through the mid-1950s.
These were shorts with belt loops. They came with a cloth belt done in the same color and material as the actual shorts.
There were two types of self-belted shorts. We note some self-belted shorts done in the button-on style. A factor here is age. The button-on self-belted shorts were primarily for younger boys, although we have notef them for boys up to age 10 years. The ones that were not button-on were done dor somewhat older boys. This is mentioned in period catalogs, but it is difficult to tell in actual photographs as the belt covers up the buttons. The shorts I had in 1954 just had the belt, but the ones done earlier for younger boys often were button-on shorts, the belt being decorative more than functional.
Self-belted shorts were a popular style of short pants for several decades. We are not sure yet just when they first appeared. They have not yet found examples from the 1910s. We suspect they first appeared in the mid-1920s. They were commonly offered in catalogs. Many examples are archived in HBC. One is a portrait of one boy, we think from the late-1920s. Another example is an American boy in 1929. The boys here are pictured in 1931 (figure 1). We know these seld-belted shorts were a common style in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. We think the button-on shirts fisappeared by the kate 40s. This needs to be confiemed. The self-nlted shorts, hiweverm cintinued into the 1950s. There are many examples archived on HBC. We also see them into the 1950s. My mom bought me two pairs for camp in 1954 when I was about 11 years old. These were not button-on shorts. The belt thus had a real function.
We see both play shorts as well as dressy short pants made with self belts. I believe that some camp shorts in the 1950s and 60s were offered with self-belts.
We note them with shorts sets.
I'm not sure about the age range, I think it was primarily about age 4-12 years. An example is some Kindergarten boys in 1955.
We think this was primarily an American style. I'm less aware of these shorts being worn in other countries. I have not yet noted them in Europe. A good example are American twins in 1931 who wear dressy shorts with long stockings. Another American example is Michael Gartner in 1943 who wears more casual shorts with knee socks. Another example is an unidentified American boy. We notice a Canadian boy Ontario boy wearing self-belted shorts in 1955. We have not noted these shorts to any extent in Wurope.
An American reader tells us, "I wore self-belted shorts with slash pockets at the side seams and one back
pocket with an elastic back waist that often rode up when the elastic was fresh and drooped a bit if I wore them out. The good news being they had zipper fly fronts so you could go to the bathroom easily and in an emergency
pull the shorts down without having to wait to undo the belt and button (which could result in a mess in the back of your underwear if you tried to play a little bit too long.".
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main short pants type page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Literary]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
