Figure 1.--This Philadelphia boy was photographed in the late 1880s or 1890s. Note the leather leggings and gloves. He even wears a leather sailor cap, at leadt it looks like leather. In is interestingthat mother kept the leggings on for the portrait.

Leggings were made in a number of materials, including leather and woolen fabrics. Many leggings during the Fautleroy era of the late 1880s and 1890s appear to be made out of leather. They also were made in many styles, including some with large numbers of buttons. HBC noted a number of boys wearing leather leggings with Fauntleroy suits. Leather leggings apparently became less commom after the turn of the 20th century when Fauntleroy suits declined in popularity. The leather leggings would have been more expensive than woolen ones, but changing fashion trends may have been more important than cost.

Leather

Many leggings during the Fautleroy era of the late 1880s and 1890s appear to be made out of leather. We are not positive when children began wearing them, but we do not notice them in the photographic record before the 1880s. This may, however, be a reflecion of alimited archive of images before the 1880s. They also were made in many styles, including some with large numbers of buttons. HBC noted a number of boys wearing leather leggings with Fauntleroy suits. We are not ure if the leather wasartificially colored. Leather leggings apparently became less commom after the turn of the 20th century when Fauntleroy suits declined in popularity. The leather leggings would have been more expensive than woolen ones, but changing fashion trends may have been more important than cost. We are not entirely sure why the leather lggings declined in popularity.

Woven Materials

Children continued wearing leggings after the turn if the 20th century. We notic them into the 1950s. Most of the leggings we note in the 20th century are woven mateial rather than leather which would have been rathefr expebsive. We assume the material was often wool. A HBC reader tells us, "Some leggings were madev with the same thin and light weight material as the long gloves worn by the ladies at the theater."

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossary] [Satellite sites] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: July 20, 2000
Last updated: 4:54 AM 1/28/2006