Figure 1.--Here we see twins wearing wool self-belted shorts in a portrait taken in 1931. It was their 5th birtday. Click on the image for more detils. |
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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. Some were done as button-on shorts. I'm not sure when they first appeared. It might have been the late 1920s. I know they were a common style in the 1930s and 40s. We also see them into the 1950s. We see both play shorts as well as dressy short pants masde 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, I think it was primarily about age 4-12 years. I believe that some camp shorts in the 1950s and 60s were offered with self-belts. I 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.
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 notec them for boys up to ae 10 years. 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 years.
I'm not sure when they first appeared. It might have been the late 1920s, although we have not yet archived images from the 20s. I know they were a common style in the 1930s and 40s. We also see them into the 1950s. My mom bought me two pairs for camp in 1954 when I was about 11 years old. They were commonly offered in catalogs.
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.
I 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 kneesocks. Another example is an unidentified American boy.
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