Figure 1.-- This photograph was taken either in the late-1920s or early 30s of an American newsboy delivering or selling papers. He wears an open-collar white shirt with short sleeves, tan knickers buckled below the knee but without much blowsing, and knee socks. Notice the mussed up hair and the black leather belt. I tend to think this photo was taken about 1931 or 1932 although it could be as early as 1928-29. Most boys earlier than this would have worn their knickers buckled above the knee and with long stockings. The lack of a suit and the knee socks both poit to the 1920s rather than the 30s. But knickers in the mid and later 1930s were usually blowsed more fully and were not so form-fitting. This boy seems to be about 11 years old. We don't know the location, but clearly it was an American city street during the spring or summer.

American boys still commonly wore knickers during the 1930s. We notice photographs showing many boys wearing them. Shool portraits show they were common at school, although much more during the early 30s than the late part of the decade. The Sears 1930 catalog provdes a good indication of trends at the begiining of the decade. We note knickers being worn by boys up to age 18 in 1930s. This age range is suggested by Sears catalogs. It was not, nearly as common as in the 1920s for older boys to wear them, especially as the decade progressed. By the end of the decade it was primarily elementary school boys still wearing knickers. A few younger teens wore knickers, but it was increasingly less common. Most boys began getting long pants suits at least by the time they began senior highschool at 14 years of age. Boys mostly wore below the knee knickers with knee socks. We note boys wearing dark knicker suits for their confirmation in 1932. The knickers we see in the 1930s are almost all ones designed to be buckled below the knee. And they tended to be worn with knee socks rather than long stockings as was still common in the 1920s. We also see boys wearing knickers that were not part of suits. Corduroy knickers were especially common for schoolwear.

Popularity

American boys still commonly wore knickers during the 1930s, but unlike the 1910s and 20s, the popularity varied sigbificantly during the decade. We notice photographs showing many boys wearing knickers during the decade. A good example is an air show about 1930. Most of the boys viewing the Ford tri-motor wear knickers. We would guess these boys are mostly from middle-class families. Knickers might nt have been quite so common among working-class boys. School portraits show they were common at school, although much more during the early-30s than the late part of the decade. We have archived numerous school scenes during the 1930s. Here one should not confuse prevalenmce with popularity. As best we can tell, knickers were not very popular with boys in the 30s. They were more popular than short pants, but most boys old enough to have strong preferences wanted to wear long pants. This is a little difficult to follow precisely because so much of the photographic record is not dated. Generally the more long pants e see the lter in the decade the photograph was taken. There are, however, variations from family to family ad school to school. And along with fewer knickers we see more and more boys wearing ankle sovks with knickers by the end of the decade.

Decade Trends

The 1930s was the last decsde in which knickers were widely worn. At the beginning of the decade, knickers were still the standard type of pants worn by American boys. They were disappearing for teengers, but most ore-teems were wearing them aswell as some younger teems. They were mostly worn with knee soicks, commonly bioldly patternred knee socks. You do not see them being wirn with ankle socks and long stockings were being worn mostly worn by very young children. All this changed very coniderably during the decade. Short pants and especially long pants increased in prevalence throughout the decade. Long stockings virtully disappeared by the end of the decade and ankle socks became standard for both boys and girls. We see lot of boys wearing knickers wih ankle socks, especially during the summer. Knickers with elastized fabric closings rather than buckles became popular. We see suits being sold wih two kinds of pants, knickers with long or short pants. By the end of the decade we still see knickers, but long ponts had become the most common type of pants that boys were wearing. This varied by age, the older the age group, the more preavalent long pants were. Rgere alsdo were regionl and seasonal differences. This all can be followed clearly in 1930s school photography.

Age Trends

The Sears 1930 catalog provdes a good indication of trends at the begiining of the decade. We note knickers being worn by boys up to age 18 in 1930s. This age range is suggested by Sears catalogs. It was not, nearly as common as in the 1920s for older boys to wear them, especially as the decade progressed. Much more common was that knickers were primarily worn by elementary (primary) scool age boys. This means pre-teen boys. Some younger teen wore knickers at the behiining of the decade. By the end of the decade, hoever, it was almost entirely elementary-age school boys still wearing knickers. A few younger teens wore knickers, but it was increasingly less common. Most boys began getting long pants suits at least by the time they began senior highschool at 14 years of age. Anf knickers were no longer very common by the end of the decade at junior high schools.

Hosiery

American boys in the 1930s mostly wore knickers with knee socks. We note boys wearing dark knicker suits for their confirmation in 1932. The knickers we see in the 1930s are almost all ones designed to be buckled below the knee and the new knickers with elaticized cuffs at the knee. And they tended to be worn with knee socks rather than long stockings as was still common in the 1920s. Thus was a major shift from the 1920s when long stockings were still dominant.This is easier to tell than it sounds. Most long stockings were solid colors. Knee socks were mostly done in bright multi-colored patterns. The photographic record clearly shows that the great bulk of the boyswearing knickers in the 30s wore them with these boldly patterned knee socks. There were many different patterns. They wewre more popular with boys than girls. These bold knee socks appeared in the 1920s, but were not very popular until the late-20s. This was true even when boys were wearing suits. An exception here is formal occassions. Here mothers might insist on conservative solid colored stockings matching the suit. Here it is difficult to tell if older boys were wearing long stockings or knee socks.

Usage

We also see boys wearing knickers that were not part of suits. Suitss were becoming less common in the 1930s. Many boys did not wear suits to school. And you no longer see boys outside playing in suits. Thus large numbers of boys wear knickers with shirts and sweaters.

Material

Corduroy knickers were especially common for schoolwear.

School Photography

Chronological trends in boys wear can be clearly seem in school photography. Virtually every class had an annual school portrait taken. At small rural schools there would be just aschool portrait. There were still many small one ot two room schools throughout America. This would change in the 1940s, esoecilly fter the War. Knickers can be seen to be the dominant albeit not exclusive type of trouser for boys wear at the beginning of the decade. But we can observe more and more boys wearing long pnts as the decade pogressed. By the end of the decade we see far fewer boys wearing knickers. Knickers did ot disappear, but they were no longer the stanfaed type of boys wear. This varied from familyto fmily and school to school. Age ws a factor, knickjer cintinue to be more prevalent among younger boys than older boys.

Mail Order Catalogs

We can also follow fashion trends boyswear through mailorder catalogs. They are useful because most can be precisely dated. And we see all kin=nds of useful information such as age, color material, etc. We still see pages filled with knickers offerings. Catalogs were often a little behind the times, alhough nly slightly because they wnted to offr what would sell. Thus we see knickers offerings dominating the catalogs during the 1930s but long pants being gradually featured to a greater extent.

Navigate the Historic Boys ' Clothing Web chronol ogical pages:
[The 1900s] [The 1910s] [The 1920s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s]

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Jackets] [Long pants suits] [Blazers] [Kilts] [S ailor suits] [Short pants suits]
[Ring bearer/page costumes] [Eton suits]

Created: 12:08 AM 1/8/2007
Last edited: 1:57 PM 1/10/2018