Figure 1.--

Suit Pants

Boys by the end of the 19th century were wearing knickers and knepants at knee length or even above the knee. Boys in Europe and America in the early 20th century were commonly wearing kneepants. This included boys in secondary school, although there were variations among countries and social class. Straight-leg kneepants were the most commomn, but we also see boys wearing knickers. Younger boys might wear three-quarter socks during the summer, but older boys wore long stockings as did younger boys in cold weather. Short pants for boys had appeared in the 1890s, but were not very common, mostly worn by younger boys. There use by the British Army in tropical postings and then by the Boy Scouts and Wandervogel had by the 1910s made them increasingl popular for older boys in Eurpope. One major divergence in the 20th century is that pants were less commonly bought as part of a suit. In fact after World War I boys began wearing suits less and less requently. American boys except in the South mostly insisted on wearing knickers. A variety of play outfits for younger boys such a romper and overalls in the 1900s. Older boys in the 1930s begin to wear long trousers more commonly, more in America than Europe. This trend becomes increasingly common after World War II (1939-45), even in Europe. Short pants begin to become more popular in the 1960s, but increasingly as casul clothes. Jeans ar commonly worn by Americn boys in the 1950s and begin to become stylish worldwide phenomenon in the 1960s. Longer shorts appear in the 1990s and by the late 1990s baggy syles of both shorts an longs vecome popular.

Regular Pants

Boys in the early-20th century commonly wore both suits suit pants. Unless the family was well to do, the pants worn for every day were from a worn out suit. We do see bpys wearing pants withoutit suit jackets in the during the summer. The forst major non-suit pants were America overalls which appeared in the late-1900s. We see both knee pants and knickes on the early-29th century, mostly worn as parts of suits. Major chages occurred in the 1910s. Knickers replaced knee pants in Americca. In Europe we begin to see short pants. Here Badeb Powell's Boy Scouts were a factor. Knickers were worn, but were much less common than in America. World war I dominated much of the decade. And was a fator in the increasing informlity in dress. Suits were still common, but steadily declined as the century progressed. There wre differences from country to country, especially betwen America and Europe. .